[walls]

ya know, I just had another thought....with your last name you just might always get your rent on time.......

[benji1880]

Your wife is probably right because depending upon where you are, it's going to take at LEAST 5-7 years to recover the market depreciation that we have lost over the last few years & you could end up no further ahead (and potentially much further behind).
Not to mention the extra stress of being a landlord (hopefully not a long distance landlord), carrying that extra load & basically putting your life on hold for potentially almost a decade
for the possibility of an unguaranteed return on investment? It's not worth it. Simplify your life as much as you can & get on with it. Things are most likely going to get worse & the less debt you can have right now, buys you a freedom that many of your fellow citizens can only dream about.

[Giesela]

I think renting is a good idea for some people. It really depends on your personality, how good at Mr. Fix it you are when the renter calls (otherwise a lot of rent goes to repair calls),
whether you are in an area where you can get good renters, whether you know a lot of people who can refer good renters, how close you are so you can keep an eye on the place, etc.