Quote Originally Posted by TTime View Post
I've lived a few places and haven't ever seen such sour attitudes towards renters as I do in Metro Detroit. It's unfortunate but some renters are better neighbors than owners and some of us either don't want the issues associated with home ownership at the moment or don't feel confident enough in the market to buy. Anyway, I have found it to be true that the healthier the region the less stigma against renting.
Wife and I rented a house for 10 years before buying our first home. We took care of it even though the landlord refused to fix anything. When our daughter was born in the winter of 1979, the furnace quit on a Saturday night. I called the landlord and he said wait till Monday as the repairman charges more on the weekends. Our mayor lived behind a rental property that was a party house. He contacted the landlord who lived out of state. The landlord stated that as long as the rent checks cleared it was not his problem. When they moved they left behind about $25,000 in damages. So both sides contribute to the problem.