I will be renting this year for my third rental year. If you have the patience for it, and can find rentals you like, you can learn a lot.
What I've learned that has suited me: First place was wonderful except it backed up to Canal St...I found the noise from Canal St. annoying. I was glad I didn't own the place. Incidentally, it wasn't cars or trucks that bothered me the most, it was the steady onslaught of gas carts.
Also rented a villa. The unit was fine, but I found I did not enjoy living in a street of villas. Nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of tea.
Also rented in a "regular" neighborhood and found this much more to my liking. Also learned a lot about what I like in a house design, and what I don't.
I am leaning towards a purchase this winter. Mind still not totally made up on that, and Dear Wife and I are not on the same page yet, but what we've learned from renting has been well worth the time and effort, should we decide to purchase.
Also, while we like TV a lot, and should we make the move it will be to TV vs. some other warm weather locale, renting without making the commitment has allowed us to experience what TV is all about. It's not perfect. There are aspects of it we find somewhat disappointing. But hey, that's life, right? On balance, we like it a lot. I think our satisfaction will be increased by having had that information BEFORE we made the jump, rather than after.
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