The topic of rent vs. own is one of my favorites, and I come down very heavily on the "own" side of the question.

However, I'm not at all annoyed, let alone "hate," when you or anyone else dismisses the idea of buying a house with a mortgage.

That's why it's called "personal finance," because it's personal. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.

Having said all that, I'd put a different spin on things than what you say in your article.

First, it's not so much about stability as it is about having more control over where you live and how much you have to pay for that privilege.

From what you say, it sounds like your rent-controlled apartment offers that without having to buy. If so, great for you, but that's fairly unusual for rental situations.

As a landlord, with the exception of the current pandemic-induced regulations, I can increase my tenant's rent by 50% when his lease expires, which means he'd be forced to choose between destroying his finances in order to stay, or have to move someplace else.

I'm not saying I would do that, because I wouldn't, but the fact that I could means that I have far too much control over someone else's finances and housing than I'd want anyone to have over mine.

In addition, as proven by data (https://medium.com/financial-strategy/if-youre-renting-your-home-you-need-to-see-this-1dd55f06dfa), if you can afford to buy a home under reasonable terms, it's far far far less expensive to buy than to rent the same home, if you plan to stay there for a few years, let alone for the American average of 9-10 years.

This, even if you take into account the opportunity cost of putting a large chunk of money into the down payment, and the cost of selling.

There are situations where renting makes more sense than buying - e.g., if you expect to move in a year or two, choose to live with your parents (or housemates) for a few years to build up your savings, can't get a decent mortgage, can't scrape together a down payment, etc.

In short, for any specific person there may be factors that make renting the right (or only available) choice.

Further, if someone (who can reasonably buy) values their mobility to the point that they're willing to pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars extra, and give a landlord that much control over their finances and housing situation, that's their prerogative.

Personally, I find that to be an extraordinarily foolish choice, but that's just my opinion (albeit backed up by some solid numbers). Even if I'm right, if someone makes such a sub-optimal choice, it doesn't upset me one whit. I just want to do what I can to ensure it's an informed choice, which is why I write so much about it.