Worst Time in American History to Be a Renter

Owners have tons of gravy, including a multi-million dollar payout when they retire or 30 more years of rent free living. The deduction is almost a moot point, and most owners earn too much anyway. Take the million dollar lottery payout at retirement and be happy.

Renters, they can't afford to buy. They will need to be broke renters until they can amass 6-figures liquid. Most idiots can not manage to do this. Hence, they do not get the jackpot at retirement and 30 years of rent-free living, to boot. Lifelong paycheck to paycheck renters?

Buyer buys $80k townhouse in 1980. Sells it for $6mm when he retires. And no, saying he could have taken that $8k downpayment to the racetrack and put it all on some horse (or investing into a company on the verge of bankruptcy) is not a valid opportunity cost comparison, you blithering imbecile.

What if stupid renter eventually buys in old age? Owners would be living rent-free at that age. Instead, she subjects herself to $60,000 a year in rent. LOL, nice "retirement" sucker. Correct, she is a ginormous fool. This is a case of "too little, too late" She should have bought something back in the 1970s or 1980s, like other people her age. She'd be sitting on millions and be living rent free. A true idiot renter who had made things even worse. At the least, should have moved to a $1500 studio.

Maybe not NYC, but owners have literally recouped 100% of the cost of their apartment in the 10 years of paying below market cost to own than to rent (owning is much cheaper than renting). Even if the apartment was today valued at $0, owners am still ahead. Wrap your mind around that.

2 years ago, I recall seeing $200k studios being posted here. Of course, some of SE crazies told buyers they were CRAZY. Now, there seem to be none of these $200k studios. If the cheapest studios are now listing for $300k, can we infer that the smart investors who bought 2 years ago are now sitting on a 6-figure profit cushion? Pretty damn incredible. Live for $1000/mo, and get paid $100k to do so. A renter doesn't see that sort of money in a lifetime!

Renters LOSE: Bought in 1983 for $1m. Sold in 2012 for $8mil. Owner walks away with a $7m profit. Renter's profit? $0. Yes, those brilliant renters can avoid the increasing cost of electricity and point out the 6 people who bought in 2009 who are underwater. They are so frickin' smart! Just think owners live for free for decades after paying off the mortgage. And get $7 million bucks as a parting gift.

Renters get ZERO percent return. And, renters pay MORE every single month, both during the mortgage and after it's retired.

Average renter net worth $5k
Average owner net worth $250k

Renting is for short-term thinkers. People used to say Manhattan was overpriced in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Guess what? Anyone who paid off their mortgage over 30 years was looking at a jackpot of wealthy when they retired. Renters? Nothing. Just sniveling ants trying to keep their rent control. If you take a long term perspective, buying is ALWAYS a no-brainer jackpot lottery system for your retirement. And, no, being down on your purchase from 2010 does not negate this.

Wow, anyone who bought a studio or 1BR in the 1990s is sitting on about $300,000 of cold hard cash for apartment sitting. Real estate is truly a money tree, if there ever was one. Oh, and you'be be living mortgage free by now as well. For the rest of your life.

NOT BUYING NOW VS. NOT BUYING EVER? BIG difference. Sure, this is a stupid time to buy at inflated prices after prices have gone up x00% in the last x years. Anyone who already bought from 1850 to 2008 has made out like a robber baron. That boat has sailed. Anyone who bought in 2009 or 2010 lost lost money. BUT, anyone who never EVER buys in their entire lifetime is a stupid f*cking renter idiot funding someone else's retirement. It's an important clarification that some here are too dumb to understand.

I am 100% agreement that prices are headed down. If you're not already sitting on a mountain of pre-2008 profit, then don't bother. That ship has sailed. Owners should now just concentrate on paying off the mortgage, and living rent free for the rest of their lives. Renters, well, I guess can just keep paying off their master's mortgage.

Renters don't have money to invest. Owning has a cheaper monthly nut than renting. So, it's the OWNER who gets to live cheaper for 30 years, then live free, AND have money to invest each month. Renters simply pay rent, and investing nothing. Owners live cheaply and invest the difference. The only thing in favor of renters is the downpayment. But, if they had the downpayment, they wouldn't be renters!

Average renter net worth $5k
Average owner net worth $250k

If it went to $3000 a month, nothing will change.
People were saying NYC was overpriced in the 40s.
The 50s. The 60s. The 70s. The 80s. The 90s. The 00s.
Can you see a pattern yet?

For the next generation, NYC rent will only double from here as urban and suburban population drains accelerate to ghost lands.

don't you have important stuff to be doing? Because this seems like a colossal waste of time.