I got asked at a family gathering last year when I was finally going to stop throwing money away on rent. I did not have a sharp answer in the moment, just a vague sense that the question assumed something I was not sure was true, and I remember feeling small about it, like I…
The standard renting experience goes something like this. You find a listing, you fill out an application, a property management company runs your credit, charges you first and last month plus a deposit, hands you a key, and raises your rent every twelve months because the market went up and they can. You are a…
The moment people find out I rent in California, the reaction is usually some version of the same thing. A slight wince. A pause. Then something like “you know you are just throwing money away, right?” or “have you thought about buying?” or the classic “real estate always goes up.” I have heard it enough…