Atascocita is the worst!!Shhhhh.....we just don't need anyone else

Down with rent!...Rent is a rip-off for most(excluding those that want/need mobility)...Need to build more homes, especially for first-time home buyers and outside of the city....Need to quit packing people inside tiny spaces in the high-priced cities...We have the communications technology where people don't need to be crammed in there anymore...People who are buying homes have an actual "stake" in the areas they live and tend to care more about their communities...

Everything is high in Harris County, not surprised. 50+% of income goes to housing according to the article for around 11 million people, I don't see that being a good long term model. Something will have to give at some point.

@Blackhorse77 : I agree, we don't need anymore traffic around here.

There is a culture today among younger people not to develop roots and they rent. They go from job to job as the winds prevail. They don't want to be tied to a piece of real estate. Of course there is a price to pay for this as rental rates in the area far exceed mortgage rates. Of course the new generation are dual incomes and more than likely will be moving on as jobs change. Things change and corporations are buying homes up as they come on the market and renting them to the new generation. As stated above, people are not buying into a neighborhood anymore.

Young single person, what would be the benefit of owning? What would be the benefit of living in the suburbs with all the "old" people? If you worked downtown, wouldn't you want to live downtown? If your single schools don't matter, the concerns are commute, entertainment, safety, and affordability. I understand renting.

@tinytim : But you get zero return on your investment if you rent. When you leave, if you're lucky you get your deposit back. I refused to buy where we used to live and now I regret it big time. It ate our savings and in turn our retirement funds.

@chasinghosts : I hear you but buying a house in an area you don't want to live driving am hour to work and an hour to go out when you are single makes no sense. The key in your answer is we, I am talking about a single person.A person at my job has moved to Miami, there house just did not move. Now they are having to deal with Harvey repairs. Secondly not every home sells at a profit. You may end up losing money on a home and property tax vs renting. Then add in the cost of your time for commuting for work and entertainment, just doesn't make sense when you are single. Most singles want to be where the action is and young singles can't afford those homes mostly.

@tinytim : I'm not arguing that fact, I'm just saying that when making that decision weigh in on how much you will lose annually by renting. You won't be young forever, and yes, I totally get it. I rented when I was single. By the time I got married at 30 I had put over 90 K into someone else's mortgage. You and you alone are the only person that can decide what you value, whether it's privacy, a certain amount of freedom in home (like blasting your music a bit if you want), knowing your neighbors, so many variables, but only you know what you want.

@chasinghosts : A friend of mine transferred to Miami. They couldn't sell their home here, it was rented after it didn't sell. Then it was flooded by Harvey, then no renter, now still on the market.Every situation is different, renting is not always a financially losing situation. There is a cost of ownership, an opportunity cost of tying up capital and ctedit. I see your point that you put $90k into somebody's else's mortgage. Myself I have rented and put the extra money into the market and did better than the appreciation and cost of home ownership when I was young. Depends on how you employ your capital and the risks you are willing to take. There are many articles that extoll the benefits of ownership and renting.

My co-worker rents a 600 sq ft apartment downtown and pays what I pay for my 1,982 sq ft home. To me that's crazy but she wants to be down here where the "action" is...