Renting is often dismissed as throwing money away, but after crunching the numbers on my own lease, I realized buying a home in most U.S. cities is a worse financial move. With a 6.5% mortgage rate, property taxes, maintenance, and insurance, my monthly costs run about 40% higher than my rent would be for a comparable place. Plus, the flexibility to relocate for a good job offer or avoid a housing downturn is worth real money. So, is owning a home still the smarter long-term investment?