I've been looking at buying a condo in Chicago for months, and the HOA fees alone can hit $600 a month—more than my car payment. With property taxes rising 4% annually and interest rates stuck near 7%, renting a similar unit looks cheaper on paper, even though I'd miss out on equity. So, is homeownership still a sound investment for middle-class buyers, or does the math now favor renting and investing the difference in stocks? I'm genuinely torn because my parents' house appreciated 200% over 20 years, but that was a different market than today's.