Most excellent points sir. Wanted to pile on.
Until you've owned a home, you just don't have a clue. None. I remember soon out of college in my first job during a time when I was still a renter, an older person at my company saying he couldn't join us for lunch as he had to go to Home Depot. I'm like 'come on man, join us.' He laughed, and said no, I have to go get this at lunch or my _______________ isn't going to work tonight. Someday you'll have a house and understand. When you own a home, you are perpetually and endlessly paying and working to keep it up and running.
Up to that point, I guess I expected that would be the case, but until you've lived it.....well until you know, you don't know.
In the past month, my $6,840 property tax came due, the house trim and exterior needed pressure washing, painting, and some boards replaced ($3,200). My driveway needs to be repaved. My deck is soon needing to be replaced. We have to get our basement sliding glass door replaced in the next couple weeks ($1500-$5000 installed depending on the door option I go with).
To your point, all of this without the utilities bills I pay monthly.
Yep. Give a house to one of these folks. Visit it in three years. Talk to me then about the property values in that neighborhood and how they've plummeted over 3 years too.