i live in Canada and luckily bought a house about 5 years ago before this all went crazy. one of the main reasons I bought is because my mortgage payment is and was half of what rent would be in a comparable house and i get all my money back if I decide to sell and move on . i don't make a ton of money but my house is a great safety net and by the time i retire i will have zero monthly payments be it rent or mortgage.

its crazy tho , my friend is looking to buy the same house as mine , same layout etc and its more than double what i paid for mine in the span of 5 years. our kids will never be able to enter the real estate market and will be living with roommates or in dads basement for ever.