Which is better, renting or owning a home? ──Miko, who has looked into the real estate markets in Japan and Taiwan, gives a thorough explanation!

Hello, this is Miko!

I've been writing a lot of health-related topics lately, and I'm sure you're feeling a bit full! So today, I'd like to write about something completely different!

The reason is that I received the same question from a viewer on Instagram the other day, so I would like to write about it.

The question is, "Why don't you own your own home and continue to live in rented accommodation?"

This is something I was asked frequently while living in Taiwan, but I had never talked about it in detail, so I'd like to share the reasons for this and the differences in how real estate is thought about in Japan and Taiwan.

I hope this will be helpful for those who are thinking of moving to Taiwan or Japan.

Well then, let's get started!

My background: Experience in the real estate industry and my experiences in Japan and Taiwan

Before that, let me tell you about my background. My father started a real estate company when I was in kindergarten. By the way, before moving to Taiwan, I worked in the real estate industry for over ten years when I lived in Japan, and I obtained my real estate license (formerly known as a real estate agent) in my first year. When I was in the real estate industry, I also worked as a sales manager. I once bought a 120-square-meter newly built apartment in Tokyo, and I also sold it.

Furthermore, during the 13 years I lived in Taiwan, I built two residential rental properties, six commercial rental properties, and opened one department store. I also listened to real-life stories and opinions about real estate from the Taiwanese people around me, so please feel free to use this as a reference.

Why do you rent? Let's start with the answer

Well, to start with, the main reason my husband and I have been living in a rental property is because we can write off part of the rent as a business expense . We also don't have any children to leave assets to , and most importantly , there are no restrictions on movement, no hassle with repairs or maintenance, so it's very easy .

Yes, the reason is very simple. (Laughs)

Why is this debate so perpetual? Diversity of values

The debate over home ownership vs. renting continues forever because each person's life plan, values, economic situation, and family structure are different. However, I think that Japan's unique social structure and cultural values are also deeply related to this debate. In particular, although the home ownership rate in Japan is 61%, which is the majority, 39% of people choose to rent. However, Taiwan has an astonishing home ownership rate of 87.8%, and the overwhelming majority are in favor of home ownership! So they probably want to know our thoughts.

Buying vs. Renting: A financial consideration

First, let's compare the financial aspects in a table. (In the case of Japan)

Viewpoint	Rental	Homeowner
Monthly Cash Flow	Rent (50-90% of company housing for executives paid by the company)	Loan repayment + management fee (apartment) + property tax
Initial cost	Deposit, key money, agency fee (approximately one month's rent)	Stamp duty, registration tax, real estate acquisition tax + down payment + loan guarantee fee + brokerage fee (3% of property price + 60,000 yen)
Funding costs	None (renewal fee every 2 years)	Loan interest rate 0.3-2.0% + group life insurance premium (variable type has risk of interest rate rise)
Repair/maintenance management	In principle, the owner is responsible for any breakdowns (minor repairs excluded)	Repair reserve fund (apartments) / Large-scale repair and renovation costs (detached houses)
Holding Tax	none	Fixed asset tax and city planning tax (0.3-0.4%/year after tax reduction for new buildings)
Tax benefits	Executive housing: Appropriate rent portion is deductible as an expense	Housing loan deduction: Up to 4.55 million yen in total over 13 years (long-term excellent, energy-saving housing)
Whether or not it can be expensed	If the lessee is a corporation, yes (deductible)	Personal loan repayments cannot be expensed (if used for business purposes, they can be apportioned)
Exit/sale costs	Renewal fee (1 month's rent in the Tokyo metropolitan area) + moving expenses	Brokerage fee, capital gains tax, stamp duty, etc.: 4-7% of the total sale price

As you can see from this comparison, in terms of numbers, renting is overwhelmingly more advantageous.

Digging deeper: The economic rationale for owning a home versus renting

Homeownership Tax Benefits and Changes

In Japan, the home loan deduction allows 0.7% of the year-end loan balance to be deducted from income tax (as of 2025). However, new homes built after 2024 will be required to comply with energy-saving standards , raising the hurdles to purchase. For new homes, there are long-term quality homes that allow a deduction of 4.55 million yen in total over a maximum period of 13 years, but the actual benefits are shrinking due to rising construction costs.

Benefits of renting for business owners

On the other hand, if you are running a business, there are great benefits to taking advantage of the company housing system for executives. By establishing appropriate company housing regulations, 50-90% of the rent can be borne by the corporation and included as an expense deduction. If the rent is 250,000 yen per month and the corporation burden is 200,000 yen, the tax savings will be 2.4 million yen per year, and if the corporation tax rate is 30%, the tax savings will be 720,000 yen per year. (My household rent is in the 50,000 yen range, so I don't benefit from it at all.)

This has the advantage of continuity and certainty compared to the housing loan deduction, because while the housing loan deduction is a temporary measure for 13 years, the company housing system can be used permanently as long as the business continues.

In Japan, homeownership is driven more by emotion than economic rationality

However, the important thing to note here is that the reasons why the majority of Japanese people choose to own their own home are not based on pure economic calculations, but are largely driven by emotional and psychological factors.

The desire for security and stability: 

Psychological fulfillment such as "wanting to have my own castle," "the peace of mind that comes from knowing a home will be secured in retirement," and "a home that my family can rely on" have a value that cannot be measured in numbers.

Dealing with social pressure: 

The fear that "my child will be bullied at school" may be unique to Japan. Parents' worries that their children may feel unwelcome because they rent a home are judgmental criteria that go beyond economic rationality.

Self-actualization and creative desire: 

Creative desires such as "I want to remodel the interior to my liking," "I want to create my ideal living space," and "I want to customize my home with DIY" are restricted when renting.

Differences in economic sense: 

Another important factor is the feeling that "the rent for a family apartment is high, and it's a waste to keep paying it." With many years of low interest rates, and a monthly rent of 150,000 to 200,000 yen compared to the amount of mortgage repayments, it is certainly understandable that people would feel that rent is "a waste of money."

These emotional factors are never "wrong." 

Housing is not just an economic good, but an important factor that is directly connected to the quality of life. It is not something that should be judged solely on economic rationality, which is probably why this debate continues forever. In fact, when I bought my apartment, I had similar values. However, now I have completely different values, so when these values change, you should also take into consideration whether you can move easily.

The fundamental differences between the housing systems of Japan and Taiwan

Now, different countries have completely different values. I know Taiwan in particular, and I often get asked, "Why don't you buy a house? Why do you continue to live in a rented house?" Let's take a look at the differences in the national circumstances.

Viewpoint	Japan	Taiwan
Resident registration system	Residence registration can be transferred even if rented → School district is determined based on actual residence status	Only the family registry system. Many rental properties have landlords who refuse to allow family members to transfer their family registry, resulting in cases where renter families are unable to attend public schools in their preferred school districts.
Tax benefits	Housing loan deduction (for up to 13 years) / New property tax reduction	The mortgage interest deduction has a small upper limit, so the benefits are limited
The power relationship between landlords and tenants	The 2024 Civil Code amendments will expand tenant protections, including strengthening the obligation to provide explanations in fixed-term rental contracts	Landlords have very strong powers . They require a three-month deposit plus a guarantor, and are vulnerable to unilateral eviction requests after signing a short-term contract. It is also difficult to negotiate rent increases , so tenant protection is weak.
Impact on families with children	Changing school districts can be easily done by moving your residence registration.	Popular school district = home purchase is almost a must . Property prices in urban areas are soaring due to the premium on school districts.
Elderly Housing	There are many options, such as senior housing and UR senior housing. Even in old age, it is relatively easy to find a place to live.	Limited options : Public senior housing is scarce and has long waiting lists, while private assisted living is expensive. Private housing is old and barrier-free subsidies are limited.

Taiwan's family registry system creates a social structure in which home ownership is a necessity

The household registration system is important to understand the housing situation in Taiwan. Unlike Japan's resident registration system, Taiwan is a complete household registration system. Moreover, renters cannot move their household registration to their current address without the landlord's permission! I was really shocked when I learned this. And this has a decisive impact on education and is the fundamental factor behind the world's highest home ownership rate of 87.8% .

Taiwan's public schools have a strict school district system based on address, and in order to send a child to a popular school, the family must be registered within the school district. However, many landlords of rental housing do not allow transfer of family registration, so it is almost essential for families with children to purchase their own home.

At that time, an employee (26 years old) said, "I have to buy a house soon after giving birth!" So I asked her why she needed to buy so soon. Then she told me this story, which shocked me. She and her husband's family register is in Pingtung, a rural area in the south, and they can't register their family register in the rental house they live in in New Taipei City (the landlord won't approve it), so if they don't buy a house, their child can't go to school! There was also a child who was allowed to keep his family register at a relative's house in the neighborhood, and from that, I finally understood why Taiwan is biased towards home ownership.

This systemic constraint has made Taiwan a society where renting is a no-go. The difference between Japan's 61.2% home ownership rate and Taiwan's 87.8% is not simply a difference in values, but stems from a fundamental difference in social systems.

The overwhelming power imbalance in Taiwan's rental market

When talking about the rental market in Taiwan, one thing that cannot be avoided is the overwhelming disparity in power between tenants and landlords. From my own experience of having signed two residential rental contracts and six commercial rental contracts over the past 13 years, I have found that this disparity is far greater than in Japan.

Poor contract process and landlord-led: 

What surprised me the most about the rental market in Taiwan was that there is no national certification system such as a real estate agent like in Japan, so there are many cases where the landlord himself directly signs the rental contract. Landlords post the property on the Internet themselves and easily sign the contract using standard documents that are also sold at convenience stores, so the contract tends to be made without any specialized knowledge. As a result, the contract contents are ambiguous and it is easy for problems to develop later on, and it is not rare for the tenant to end up just putting up with it.

Rent increase at renewal: 

It is a natural right to raise the rent when renewing a contract. Therefore, it is important to maintain a good relationship with the owner on a daily basis. Moreover, when the market price rises, it is not uncommon for rent to be raised by more than 20% per year. Things that seem unreasonable from a Japanese perspective often happen. The tenant has almost no right to refuse, and is forced to choose between accepting it or moving out. Thanks to this, perhaps because I have the image of Japanese people as being conscientious, I have only had to negotiate a rent increase once in 13 years, and it was within a reasonable range. There are three cases where the deposit that should have been written off when moving out was returned in full. In short, landlords are human beings too, so as long as you maintain a good relationship with them, they are very humane. I was lucky, but overall it seems that this is not the case in most cases.

Sudden eviction request: 

Landlords often request tenants to move out for their own reasons. Tenants are generally forced to comply with requests to move out due to reasons such as selling the property, family use, or renovation. Unlike in Japan, tenants are not allowed to assert their rights. They are merely renting the owner's property. Therefore, the move-out period is short, about 1-2 months, and there is almost no consideration given to the tenant's lifestyle, which is limited.

Ambiguity in responsibility for facilities and repairs: 

There are many cases where it is unclear who is responsible for repairs when equipment breaks down or the building is defective. There are many cases where the landlord avoids responsibility and the tenant ends up paying the costs. I also rented a store and had a structural defect that caused a flood-like water leak in the store. Although I was the victim, the landlord did not pay any compensation, let alone take any action, so I, the tenant, had to pay the repair costs. However, since this was a problem caused by a hidden structural defect, I advised them that in Japan, it would be a condition for contract termination and all the condominium owners could sue the general contractor, but they did not listen at all. (It's strange. lol) However, it is also true that in the property I rented as a house, if there was a small problem, the landlord immediately called a repairman and I did not have to pay a single penny. Even for a light bulb in the house. So this also depends greatly on the quality of the intermediary between the landlord and the intermediary (because there is no law in place).

So, renting a property can be a stressful situation. I have been lucky, but I have not had any bad experiences except for one property that had a water leak and another where the landlord was living overseas and had to pay late fees for late submission of necessary documents.

I believe this is a common occurrence not only in Taiwan but in many overseas properties, but it was a very valuable experience that I could not have had in Japan.

Differences in thinking between Japanese and Taiwanese people when it comes to housing for retirement

Having lived in Taiwan for 13 years and having spoken to many Taiwanese people about real estate, I can say that homeownership in Taiwanese society means much more than just a place to live.

A distinctive feature of Taiwan's housing situation is that there are very few affordable public housing options like those offered by the Urban Renaissance Agency or public housing in Japan. With private rental housing making up the majority of the market, rent levels are by no means cheap. In addition, the social security system has a short history, and the pension system is relatively new, so many Taiwanese people have no choice but to rely on housing for their post-retirement livelihood security.

More importantly, real estate prices in Taiwan have continued to rise for a long period of time. Particularly in urban areas such as Taipei City and New Taipei City, housing has functioned as a reliable means of asset formation. For this reason, it has become a fundamental premise of life planning to purchase a home while young, even if it means stretching oneself, to ensure a rent-free life in retirement, and to build assets through rising real estate values.

Another characteristic of the rental market in Taiwan is that owners have very strong rights. It is relatively easy to raise rent when renewing a contract or request a tenant to move out, and tenants are not in a strong position at all. It is not uncommon for owners to change terms or terminate contracts for their own convenience.

And the most serious problem is that the number of homes available for rent decreases dramatically as people get older. Many landlords tend to avoid renting to the elderly, and it becomes difficult to secure housing once people reach their 70s and 80s. This is the decisive factor that has led Taiwanese people to view buying a home while they are young as a way to "secure a lifeline for retirement."

In addition, due to the family registry system, parents need to own a home within the school district just to send their children to a public school in their neighborhood. This is why Taiwanese parents, who are enthusiastic about education, see home buying as an "investment in their children's future" in order to send their children to a better-regarded school. Since renting makes it almost impossible to change family registry, young people who come from rural areas are hesitant to even get married, which I think is contributing to the declining birthrate. Furthermore, for families with children, owning a home is no longer an option but a necessity, and the background to women's advancement in society is the social background that the only way to buy a home is for both partners to work and pay off the loan together.

When I was doing business in Taiwan, I saw many Taiwanese men who rushed to buy a house before getting married. Having a house and a car is considered a symbol of social success, and home ownership is often a prerequisite for marriage, especially for men. The same is true for women, and many of them got married because they wanted to take out a loan together.

In contrast, in Japan, the resident registration system allows you to secure a place in a school district even if you rent, and there are various housing options such as UR housing, public housing, and housing for the elderly with services. In addition, the social security system is relatively well-developed (although I think it is only anxiety for young people today), so for couples in their 50s like us who have no children, the social pressure to insist on owning a home is not as strong as it is in Taiwan. Rather, I feel that there is an environment in Japan where options that emphasize the freedom to move in retirement and the liquidity of assets are more easily accepted socially.

Changes in interest rates and their impact on home buying

The housing market in 2025 is at a major turning point. The Bank of Japan has raised its policy interest rate to 0.5%, and mortgage interest rates have also started to rise. Variable interest rates are expected to rise by more than 0.25% by the end of the year, and the fixed interest rate Flat 35 has also risen to the 2.05% level.

The real impact of rising interest rates

However, while there is no doubt that interest rates are still low compared to other countries, with prices rising so much, the impact of a 1% increase in interest rates is immeasurable.

For a 30 million yen mortgage, a 1% increase in interest rates will increase the total repayment amount over 35 years by approximately 5.2 million yen. This equates to an additional monthly burden of approximately 12,000 yen, and if you are taking out a loan to buy a house, you cannot easily give it up, and you must consider this as a cause for concern about the future, as it will force you to make major changes to your lifestyle.

The dangers of thinking of housing as an "investment"

The reality is that a home is not an asset

We often hear people say that "owning a home is an asset," but I think this is a big misunderstanding. Even if it is the same property, as long as you live in it, there will be no return on your investment. Instead, you will have to pay ongoing costs such as property taxes, repairs, and management fees.

A true asset is something that generates continuous cash flow. While an investment property that you rent out can certainly be considered an asset (assuming you don't have a mortgage on it and it doesn't depreciate), your home is more of a liability in economic terms.

The danger of the illusion that "housing is an investment"

In the real estate industry, sales pitches such as "Housing is an investment," "You'll have trouble finding a place to live when you're old," and "Real estate prices will rise" are often used, but this is a very dangerous way of thinking. Especially in a society with a declining population like Japan, a long-term decline in real estate prices is inevitable in many areas.

The value of a building decreases steadily with age, and in the case of a wooden house, it will be worthless within 20 to 30 years. Land values also carry a risk of significant decline depending on the location.

The problem facing rural areas right now is the inheritance of parents' homes. The buildings are dilapidated and almost worthless, and even if you try to sell them, you can't sell them as long as the building is still there. It would cost several million yen to demolish the building. However, if you leave it alone, you may be issued an improvement order by the government under the "Special Measures Act on the Promotion of Measures against Vacant Houses, etc." and have to pay a fine. Also, with inheritance registration becoming mandatory from April 1, 2024, you will also be fined if you leave it alone. Oh, that's a problem.

In addition, the 2024 system reform will require new homes to comply with energy conservation standards. This has caused building prices to rise dramatically, which cannot be ignored. In many cases, the price of a new home has risen 30-50% from previous levels due to the introduction of insulation materials and high-efficiency equipment to meet energy conservation standards. Yes, no matter where in the country you are building a home, the construction costs of the upper structure have risen significantly, so we are now in an era where you can no longer build a home cheaply, even if you buy cheap land.

This price increase is not an "investment value" but simply an "increase in costs." Moreover, even if you consider selling the house later, there is no guarantee that you will be able to recover the additional costs of complying with the energy conservation standards when you sell it in the future. In fact, there is a risk that the house will become obsolete in a few years due to technological advances. For example, the current energy conservation standards may be subject to stricter standards in 10 years' time, at which point the value of the existing house will drop significantly as it is considered an "old standard home."

In addition, the conditions for applying for the housing loan deduction have been tightened, and homes that do not meet the energy conservation standards are no longer eligible for the deduction. This will have a major impact on the used housing market, and there is a possibility that the liquidity of existing homes that do not meet the standards will decrease significantly.

In other words, buying a home today means acquiring an asset with a higher cost and a higher risk of obsolescence. Can this be called an "investment"? I think it's more realistic to think of it as purchasing a consumer good at a high price that will definitely decrease in value.

The importance of opportunity cost

You should also take into consideration the fact that investing tens of millions of yen in purchasing a home means losing other investment opportunities. For example, instead of purchasing a 50 million yen apartment, if you can invest the money at an annual rate of 5%, you can expect a return of 2.5 million yen per year. This is equivalent to a monthly rent of 200,000 yen, and it will be possible to increase your assets while living in a rental property of the same value.

Furthermore, you can't cut a 50 million yen apartment in half and sell only half. For example, if you are running a business like ours, there will come a time when you have a chance to take on a big challenge. If you have the money you invested at that time, you can withdraw only the amount you need, but you have to sell the whole property, and you will also have to pay commission and taxes on the sale of the property, so there will be a time loss before the funds come in. During that time, you may miss the opportunity. Moreover, there is a buyer for the sale. In order to sell quickly, you have to be prepared to be slammed. Because it is so difficult to turn it into cash, if an amateur tries real estate investment, "it will be a game that is guaranteed to be lost." This is my opinion as a former real estate industry worker.

My housing strategy for the final resting place

I'll skip over the housing choices for those raising children and single-person households as this would take too long to explain (lol) and instead I'd like to discuss housing for middle-aged and elderly people, which is the most common choice among my viewers.

Middle-aged and older: thinking about "final resting place"

When choosing a home for people in their 50s and older, the concept of "final residence" becomes important. The following factors are often taken into consideration.

Benefits of choosing homeownership:

• Reduce housing costs after paying off your mortgage
• Free barrier-free renovation
• Psychological stability and attachment formation
• Inheriting assets to children and spouse

Advantages of continuing to rent:

• Relocation based on health status and care needs
• Freedom from the burden of maintenance
• Ensuring asset liquidity
• Avoiding complexity when inheriting

Practical issues regarding housing for the elderly: Japan's elderly housing policy

In Japan, there are actually plenty of housing options for the elderly. There are a variety of options, including serviced housing for the elderly (Sakaju), discounts for elderly households on UR rental housing, and paid nursing homes. In some rural areas, there are even municipalities where you can get a house for free. These systems create an environment where it is easy for elderly people who prefer renting to own their own homes to find housing. This is something that foreigners would be surprised to hear.

However, most people think that they will pay off their loans while they are still working and that their final residence will be a home they own and live in until they die. Here is a case that happened in a home they own.

The Nightmare of Reverse Mortgages: The Pitfalls of Homeownership

Reverse mortgages, which were in the spotlight a few years ago as a "savior for those short of funds for retirement," are now causing serious problems. A couple who purchased their own home while still working and used part of their retirement benefits to pay off the remaining debt, retired as planned and debt-free.

In reality, however, due to pressures from medical expenses, rising prices, and soaring repair costs due to aging, pensions alone are insufficient to cover living expenses, and as a last resort, people take out reverse mortgages using their homes as collateral. However, there are many cases where people are forced to give up their homes during the contract period due to living longer than expected or falling real estate prices. In particular, there are cases where the owner's husband dies, leaving the surviving wife unable to repay the debt, and the home is bought by the seller at the price they ask, forcing them to leave the home they thought would be their final resting place.

What is likely to become more serious in the future is the possibility of an "over-loan" situation, where the loan balance exceeds the collateral value, as a result of rising interest rates. In this case, financial institutions will ask people to sell their homes, and they will be forced to leave their familiar homes. The tragedy of people suddenly losing their homes in their 80s and 90s is now happening.

This teaches an important lesson. If you run out of money in retirement, the risk of losing your home is the same whether you own it or rent it. In fact, if you rent, you can consider moving when you can no longer pay the rent, but with a reverse mortgage, the complexity of the contract and the declining judgment that comes with age can make it difficult to take appropriate action.

The myth that "Owning a home will give you peace of mind in your old age" is no longer valid. What is important is not the type of housing, but having sufficient financial assets, human capital, and social capital.

Our Choices and Why They Matter: A 50-something DINKS Perspective

Japan is entering a period of serious population decline, which is bringing about fundamental changes in housing choices. According to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, the total population will fall below 100 million in 2050, and the number of households will peak in 2030 and then begin to decline.

Moreover, since the COVID-19 pandemic, office vacancy rates have continued to rise, and the number of office workers is rapidly decreasing due to the rapid evolution of AI technology. I predict that the continued rise in real estate prices in major cities will also undergo a major turning point at some point.

Aflac cuts call center staff in Japan by 50% using AI, partners with OpenAI

Although real estate prices are still rising in some cities, this is due to speculation by a certain number of wealthy people and overseas investors, and properties in the price range for general consumers are no longer for speculation purposes, and we cannot expect any significant price increases in the future. Properties with overwhelmingly excellent locations, size, and facilities, in other words premium properties preferred by the super-rich, may continue to rise, but it is unlikely that ordinary Japanese people living there are included, and getting caught up in this whirlpool of speculation is like taking on a gamble with no chance of success. As for most ordinary housing, with the population decreasing in the future, there is no factor that will cause prices to rise, so we should look at this more calmly.

In the future, it will be almost impossible for Japanese people with average incomes to own a newly built home in an urban area, and the prices of such properties will fluctuate greatly depending on interest rates and market rental prices, making it nothing but a risk for people who are willing to take out a loan to buy one.

Conversely, population decline in rural areas will be a serious problem. The current national average vacant house rate of 13.6% is set to inevitably rise further over the next 20 to 30 years.

The biggest risk of owning a home in this situation is that if you buy a half-baked property in a half-baked area, you may find yourself in a situation where you can't sell it even if you want to. I think that there will be a sharp increase in cases where buyers cannot be found for detached houses and old apartments in rural areas, resulting in negative assets. On the other hand, renting will completely free you from such liquidity risks.

The telework revolution that changes the concept of mobility

In my case, my husband and I don't have an office and we do all our work from home, so we're not tied to the area we live in. This is also a change in work style that many people have experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This "location-free work style" is changing the fundamental premise of housing selection. The traditional concept of "living close to work" has faded, and people can choose their home regardless of the distance from the city center or the distance from the station. This has increased the range of properties to choose from more than you could have imagined, and you can choose a spacious and high-quality living environment at a low rent. In short, it has become possible to improve the quality of life and reduce living costs.

"Tokainaka" - a new housing option

Furthermore, we strongly sympathized with the concept of "Tokainaka" (city + countryside) proposed by the late economic commentator Takuro Morinaga, and chose a place that was a little closer to the countryside than the city. Of course, we didn't retreat to the countryside until we were self-sufficient, but it takes 40 minutes to get to Tokyo from the nearest station, and you can get anywhere by train or bus. Rent is cheap, and since it is an area where many families live, there are many large supermarkets, there are plenty of medical facilities, and in my opinion, the cost of living is half that of central Tokyo. This is an area that combines urban convenience with the richness of the countryside, and I feel it is a place that is easy to live in even as you get older.

summary

There's no hard and fast answer to the homeowner vs. renter debate. The key is to make a rational decision based on your values, financial situation, and life plans.

As a married couple in their 50s who run a DINKS home, we value economic rationality and flexibility in our lifestyle, and have chosen to rent for now. However, if we find a place that moves us emotionally in a way that cannot be measured by economic rationality, we may choose to buy a house. In that sense, in this era of 100-year life spans, we still want to be light on our feet.

A home is an important element that forms the foundation of life. We hope this article will help you choose your home.