If you live in a house long enough, you will have to deal with things. There will at some point, be a new roof, a new furnace. New windows. Some of it will be optional, some will not. If you are renting, part of your rent is going to the landlord to cover these things. And you are dependent on them doing it. One way or another you are the one paying. If you own, at least you have the choice of doing it the way you like.

Probably the biggest factor of considering the rent/buy question is how long to do you expect to be there. We paid off our mortgage after 16 years, so now it's 'free', except for ongoing maintenance and taxes. And we're looking at some nontrivial reno in the future: the kitchen is quite beat, and someday we'll need to deal with the asbestos siding (one of four layers on the house!). But it least it's our choice.

In some markets they get like 20 offers for a house. You aren’t going to negotiate anything at that point