• One of the top reasons for owning your own home are the tax advantages. Keep a record of your closing costs because some of the costs are deductible as well as your mortgage interest and your property taxes on your home.
• Appreciation. Every market is different, whether it's a buyers market or a sellers market, but generally the real estate values in this country are on a positive appreciation scale. Like any other investment, the patient long term investor should see a healthy appreciation in their property.
• With the market appreciation and the paying down of your mortgage loan you end up with an increasing equity in your home. Unlike rent money, at part of your mortgage payment goes towards the loan principle to reduce your obligation. That builds your equity.
• As your equity builds it acts like a savings account. The tax laws permit you to sell your property and take the profit or gain tax free. At the present time this is up to $250,000 if your single or $500,000 if your married.
• When you rent, the landlord will normally gradually increase the rent over time if not every year. When you have a fixed 15 or 30 year mortgage, you know for the long term what your monthly cost are going to be. Now naturally your insurance and your property taxes will probably go higher, but your mortgage payment staying constant will quite likely reduce your overall housing costs over the years.
• Do you like red walls in the living room. Fine, it's your house to do what you want unless of course your in a neighborhood association which may put some restrictions on modifying the exterior of your home. But generally you have the freedom that you would not have if you were renting.
• Buying a home and taking care of it is a source of pride and generally homeowners will stay in a community longer than renters. This gives the adults and the children time to establish friends and memories. The kids going to the same school over time helps to establish a stable force in their lives.

If you want to do some research on whether to rent or buy, then check out this Ginnie Mae website.