"v" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 20:10:57 -0400, someone wrote:

... Around here,
mortgage payments are often less than rents.

But the mortgage payment is just the start. The rent includes
maintenance, lawn care, reserves for replacement of appliances, HVAC
apparatus, etc. As an owner all that is in addition to the mortgage.
And can occur unexpectedly which is hard for those of limited means.

Well yabbut...

You said it - the rent includes those costs (in other words, you're still
paying for them), plus a profit for the landlord, plus the renter is
excluded from any tax benefits. Some of this stuff is good for a giggle -
my last apartment was on the 9th floor - "lawn care" is pretty meaningless.