Cory Doctorow, thoughtful piece.

We may all be better off should we chuck the idea that home ownership is essential to success in America.

That rent or buy becomes what it is with autos where there has been probably a shift of social status to leasing. Home ownership was a way for ordinary folk to save as you point out but today other ways are available to this end (stock market, mutual funds and others) that don't come with grasscutting, roof repairs and the rest. The great advantage to renting is mobility and having money in more liquid form.

By the way, ownership can be more costly than renting. One reason is that houses as opposed to complexes are way more inefficient (the maintenence and bills can't be spread).

The argument for all subsidies (mortgage subsidies on interest, deductibility of taxes etc.) of ownership is there. For one it's a costly distortion to the housing market.

To add a note. Rents are set not by landlord but by the market.

Many thanks