Renting is now smarter than buying a home in most US cities. I've run the numbers in Austin, where median home prices hit $450k but rents have stayed relatively flat—your monthly mortgage with taxes and insurance runs about $2,800, while a comparable apartment rents for $1,900. That $900 monthly gap, invested in index funds over 5% annual returns, outpaces typical home appreciation after maintenance costs. Property taxes and insurance keep climbing too, while renters avoid those hikes entirely.