Regardless of one’s age, background, or housing situation, renting can be a great option for singles and families alike. / PHOTO COURTESY OF INVESTING NETWORK
Holdan Hitchcock
Staff Writer
Listen, society tells you that you go to school, go to school again, get a job, get a house, get married, have some kids. Live the most traditional life because that’s what everyone else does, right?
I’m on board with school, then job, and if you want to get married and have kids, fine by me. Though, wanting to buy a house (in this economy?) is just foolish.
Homes are too big and too expensive. What do you need all that space for? Having kids is bad for the planet, don’t do it.
The current rate of the housing market is showing that owning a home is becoming more a luxury based good. According to Connor Sen, a Bloomsburg columnist, “in March 2021, 34% of homes sold for under 300,000 dollars, in March 2022 just 14% did.”
Besides, renting is actually just a great thing to do. As more and more jobs allow for remote work, being a renter allows remote workers to move from place to place as they please. Just play along hypothetically just for a little bit: say you have the ability to work remotely, and you want to spend time in a warmer climate than you are now, so you move to North Carolina. Eventually during this stay in North Carolina you become homesick and want to move back to where you once were. You can do so thanks to renting.
There are a lot of other cool things about renting: You don’t have to pay property taxes. Repairs and maintenance issues around the apartment are taken care of for free. You don’t have to make monthly mortgage payments. You have a fixed cost every month. Some apartments offer amenities like a gym, basketball courts, maybe even a pool.
The costs of owning a house never end. On top of years of student loan debt, probable childcare costs, possible medical bills, and all of life’s other little expenses, those who own their home have to take on home repair costs, maintain their own lawn and landscaping, and are responsible for mortgage payments and property taxes. Why anyone would choose to take on these oppressive fees, just for the luxury of being stuck in one place for the rest of their lives, is far beyond me. It all sounds like lunacy to me.
