Let’s cut through the noise. There are endless articles, “gurus,” and opinion writers telling millennials and Gen Z that renting is smarter than buying. Don’t “lock yourself down,” they say. Keep renting, they say. But here’s the question: if renting is such a brilliant wealth strategy, then why do these very same pundits… own their own homes? Why do they quietly own vacation properties? Why do they own the very apartment buildings they’re telling you to rent in?
They’re building wealth through real estate while convincing you not to. That’s not advice — that’s a business model.
So let’s run the numbers together.
Case Study #1: The $300k Condo
Take a modest $300,000 condo. Put 20% down ($60,000), and you’re left with a $240,000 loan. That’s about $1,500/month in mortgage payments.
Fast forward 40 years: at just 3% growth per year, that condo is worth $990,000 — nearly a million dollars. Mortgage paid off after year 30.
Now let’s say you rent that same condo instead. Rent starts at $1,400/month and grows modestly at 3% a year. After 40 years, you’ve shelled out $1.74 million in rent — and you own absolutely nothing.
Case Study #2: The $500k Starter Home
Now scale it up. A $500,000 home with 20% down ($100k) means a $400,000 mortgage. That’s about $2,500/month.
In 40 years, that home is worth $1.65 million.
Renting it instead? You start around $2,100/month, but by year 40 you’re writing checks for nearly $7,000 every single month. Total lifetime rent? $2.6 million gone. The buyer: $1.65 million richer. The renter: broke.
Case Study #3: The $1.2M Family Home
And finally, the higher-end example. Buy a $1.2 million home. Put $240k down, finance $960k. That’s a mortgage of about $6,100/month.
After 40 years, it’s worth almost $4 million.
Rent instead? You start at $5,000/month, but by the end you’re paying $16,000 a month just to keep a roof overhead. Total rent wasted over 40 years: $6.2 million. At the end of all that, you have nothing to show for it.
But What About Interest Rates?
This is where people get stuck. “Rates are too high right now.” “I’ll wait until they come down.”
Here’s the truth: interest rates fluctuate, but the decision to buy should never hinge on that. You can always refinance when rates drop. What you can’t do is rewind time and buy that property at yesterday’s price.
Remember this simple rule:
You marry the house, but you only date the rate.
The home is the long-term wealth-builder. The rate is temporary.
The Common Thread
The math doesn’t change. Whether it’s a condo, a starter home, or a million-dollar family house, the story is the same:
• The renter spends millions of dollars over their lifetime and ends up with nothing.
• The buyer spends less overall — even after taxes, insurance, and maintenance — and ends with a property worth hundreds of thousands to millions.
Renting is not cheaper. Renting is simply paying someone else’s mortgage while they build wealth off of you.
The Truth About Wealth
Real estate has always been — and remains — the most consistent path to building wealth in America.
• Stocks rise and fall.
• Businesses come and go.
• But a home? A home quietly grows in value, decade after decade, while your loan balance shrinks to zero.
It’s the greatest forced savings account this country has ever known.
And yet the “don’t buy, keep renting” crowd doesn’t follow their own advice. Because they know the truth: ownership is wealth, renting is waste.
The Key Difference
Now, here’s the catch: not all real estate purchases are created equal. Buy the wrong home in the wrong area, and you can sink yourself. Buy wisely, and you set your family up for generations.
That’s why having a trusted realtor as your guide isn’t optional — it’s essential. The right guidance is the difference between a successful investment and throwing your money away.
If you’re serious about building long-term wealth, don’t wait for “the perfect time.” The perfect time was 10 years ago. The next-best time is right now. Let’s find you a home you can afford today, refinance tomorrow, and own for a lifetime. Reach out to a trusted realtor who knows your market, understands your goals, and can guide you to the smartest purchase for your future.
💬 Ready to stop renting and start building wealth? Contact me today and let’s get started on your path to ownership/investment.
