I've been renting for the past 30 years after selling my condo at a loss in 1995. Moved to go to school, came back, didn't have money to buy again until about 10 years ago. Instead, I socked away $$$ in my IRA, took advantage of employer match, didn't spend on unneeded luxuries, and just retired at 65 with enough saved and Social Security plus small pension to continue to live and rent where I am.

Giving me the flexibility to easily relocate to a small city without dealing with trying to sell a home. Is it the way I would have written the script 30 years ago? Probably not. But instead of paying that mortgage, I invested and saved and have cash, not an illiquid paid off house.