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Transtint dye works better on softwood like pine. Traditional stains tend to blotch pretty badly unless you use a seal coat like shellac underneath. Prestain conditioners help some by saturating the pores, but still don't work great in my experience

I'm at the age where my joints hurt and things from my childhood are considered old or "vintage." I don't like it.

Fair point

Google bought Waze a while back

old

You take that back, and then get off my lawn

Watching it right now, I think it holds up ok

Definitely. We still put about 10% down, and could have done 20%, but it would've drained our savings and kept us from replacing the roof and some aging appliances. Interest rate was close to market average, slightly below, but definitely put home ownership within reach for us

Exactly. Waiving an inspection is the single worst thing you can do while buying a house. Even if you're a contractor or inspector, having an unbiased third party look at the house without the pressure you're under can do nothing but positive things for you. Even if you're waiving repairs or concessions, it gives you a complete picture of what issues exist (and there are always issues, even in new construction), which allows you to paint a realistic picture of what the house will cost you.

All valid points, with the possible exception of your comment about earnings increases against rental costs.

Ultimately, it's likely a wash with the slight edge towards renting in terms of value. Personally, the psychological benefits of ownership outweigh the downsides. Add to it that once my house is paid off, my cost of living drops immensely, which can be a major factor in an early retirement.

From a practical financial perspective, you are correct. However, owning a property provides long term security. It also insulated you from rising rent prices for 30 years. There is a certain peace of mind that comes with knowing you have complete control over your own shelter. While there are risks associated with that, you can mitigate that pretty effectively provided that

1. you make a smart purchase to begin with. Identify major issues and make a conscious decision whether you want to own those problems, or walk away.

2. Conduct regular, proper preventative maintenance to head off problems before they get bad.

3. Have decent insurance

While someone that rents indefinitely does avoid a lot of the risk of ownership, they also tied the cost of their shelter to something outside of their control. Sure, it's cheaper than owning right now, but how will rent prices in 10-15 years compare to the cost of ownership of a property purchased today?

I get where you're coming from, but sight unseen in a sellers market is a terrible idea. I commented above about the details of my experience, but there are so many shitty houses with major problems that are evident the second you walk into them. This approach ties up earnest money and can potentially prevent you from being able to jump on a good house.

Absolutely, great points. If possible, go check the house out when it's raining. Our first visit was during a massive storm, and we were able to verify that there was proper drainage/no water intrusion (crawlspace mold was from some mulch covering a crawlspace vent and some subsequent seeping).

Our roof was original, 20ish years old, and had some minor damage. No leaks or evidence of previous leaks, but we had it replaced a few months after moving in before it became a problem. We knew about it ahead of time and could budget accordingly, and could take the time to shop around for a decent price from a reputable company.

Side note: GO IN THE CRAWLSPACE OF EVERY HOUSE YOU LOOK AT. We waved off of at least a dozen houses because there were massive issues that I found in the crawlspaces (standing water, major cracks, infestations, temporary jacks holding up the house, you name it). Everything else can be perfect, but if the foundation is fucked, so is the house. Don't waste money on an inspection if you see major issues. If you can see it with an untrained eye, it's already expensive.