How long did they live there,
How long did they live there, though, John? Renting has decided benefits for those with busy lifestyles or short-term contracts. Renting means that there is no obligation, cost (time or money), etc. involved in keeping the home and no hassle when you need to leave it behind. Ask Tim Esterdahl how simple it was to drop his house in the Denver area, in a highly sell-able neighborhood, and move. It took months.
We own our home because we plan to live here a while and knew that from the time we moved in. Were I still a truck driver, however, and had I planned to continue doing that once we bought the house, I would not have purchased and would have rented instead. Why? Because I wouldn't be home to do the maintenance and work on the house and would prefer to leave that to someone else so my time at home would be quality instead.