Steven

my wife and I rented for years and looking back at the time and looking back, it was the best thing that we ever did. We rented for 10 years before we bought a house because we lived in five different cities and we could just easily just pack up and go. And then we just, we weren't tied to anything. We had flexibility. And yeah,

my wife and I rented for years and looking back at the time and looking back, it was the best thing that we ever did. We rented for 10 years before we bought a house because we lived in five different cities and we could just easily just pack up and go. And then we just, we weren't tied to anything. We had flexibility. And yeah,

it was pretty much the week that our son was born when we had our first kid, that it was like a switch in my head. I was like, I need to go have my own house because the flexibility that I enjoyed when we were childless, it was the opposite. I was like, I'd value stability now. I want a stable house for my family. And it was like instantly that switched.

it was pretty much the week that our son was born when we had our first kid, that it was like a switch in my head. I was like, I need to go have my own house because the flexibility that I enjoyed when we were childless, it was the opposite. I was like, I'd value stability now. I want a stable house for my family. And it was like instantly that switched.

And so that was not a financial decision of like, I need to go out and buy it because I have some extra savings. It was like, I want my house that's mine. And there's not going to be a landlord that sends me a letter and says, oh, sorry, you're evicted. Or sorry, we're selling the building you need to leave. This is my house. That was the shift for me.

And so that was not a financial decision of like, I need to go out and buy it because I have some extra savings. It was like, I want my house that's mine. And there's not going to be a landlord that sends me a letter and says, oh, sorry, you're evicted. Or sorry, we're selling the building you need to leave. This is my house. That was the shift for me.

But it's not, in the slightest. I mean, for anyone who's owned a house, you know the expenses that go into a house. It's not just the mortgage. It's the broken water heater. It's replacing your roof. It's the expenses that go into it. Like, you want to talk about throwing your money away, try replacing your roof on a house that you own. That feels like throwing money away.

But it's not, in the slightest. I mean, for anyone who's owned a house, you know the expenses that go into a house. It's not just the mortgage. It's the broken water heater. It's replacing your roof. It's the expenses that go into it. Like, you want to talk about throwing your money away, try replacing your roof on a house that you own. That feels like throwing money away.

So my wife and I lived in five different cities. Some of those were because we got jobs that we didn't, you know, in different cities we had to move. You can't quantify that flexibility or it's very hard to, but in the moment it was everything. It was, I remember when my wife got into grad school and it was like, great, pack up this city and move to this city.

So my wife and I lived in five different cities. Some of those were because we got jobs that we didn't, you know, in different cities we had to move. You can't quantify that flexibility or it's very hard to, but in the moment it was everything. It was, I remember when my wife got into grad school and it was like, great, pack up this city and move to this city.

And it was just like, no handcuffs, just get up and go. Versus if you own your house, like anyone's tried to sell a house, like it's a nightmare. And so you can't quantify that, but it meant everything in the world to us now.

And it was just like, no handcuffs, just get up and go. Versus if you own your house, like anyone's tried to sell a house, like it's a nightmare. And so you can't quantify that, but it meant everything in the world to us now.

There are so many people today who bought homes in 2021, 2022, and their mortgage rate was 2% or 3%. They have a 2% or 3% mortgage. And a lot of those people want to move today because they can get a better job in another city. They want to move and they feel like they can't.

There are so many people today who bought homes in 2021, 2022, and their mortgage rate was 2% or 3%. They have a 2% or 3% mortgage. And a lot of those people want to move today because they can get a better job in another city. They want to move and they feel like they can't.

because because they're they have golden handcuffs for the super cheap mortgage because if they sold their house and bought a new one their new mortgage rate would be seven and a half percent and so those are people who like a lot of those people look back and when they bought in 2021 they're like we won the lottery two percent mortgage this is amazing and looking back they're like gosh we would have been so better off renting if we did if we had the flexibility to move so interesting

because because they're they have golden handcuffs for the super cheap mortgage because if they sold their house and bought a new one their new mortgage rate would be seven and a half percent and so those are people who like a lot of those people look back and when they bought in 2021 they're like we won the lottery two percent mortgage this is amazing and looking back they're like gosh we would have been so better off renting if we did if we had the flexibility to move so interesting

So much of economic prosperity over history is your ability to move. And that's been true for hundreds of years. Like if you want to see like a basic measure of how wealthy any economy is, like how often do people move? Because moving is usually a symbol of opportunity.

So much of economic prosperity over history is your ability to move. And that's been true for hundreds of years. Like if you want to see like a basic measure of how wealthy any economy is, like how often do people move? Because moving is usually a symbol of opportunity.

And the more that they're locked down and feel like they can't move, the more stagnant and like sclerotic that economy is going to be.

And the more that they're locked down and feel like they can't move, the more stagnant and like sclerotic that economy is going to be.