<prompt> Human: I live in a suburb of a high COL area. Im 30. My commute is 15 minutes and bikeable. I make 48k which should go up to the low 50k in a few years. My rent is 1000month, which is really good for this area. People tell me I should buy a house because I have a stable job now but I dont get why.Personally, I wont be getting married. Im diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder and I dont form very close bonds with people. I have a small social circle and live a very fulfilling solo life so its not something Im seeking to change any time soon. It could change, I concede, but an asteroid could hit the earth. I planned for neither. Thought I should explain that first.Financially, the market is back at 2007 prices according to Zillow. The median price is 380k. There might be some old ranch houses built in the 50s that need an update, but thats a lot of work and effort. I plugged in what I could into the NY Times calculator and it said that if my rent is below 1800 then renting is better. Coincidentally I already invest the difference between rent and a hypothetical mortgage payment in retirement funds. I will also have a state pension.If I bought a house, it would wipe out most of my savings and severely curtail my retirement investments. I like to travel but that would have to come to an end. I could eventually pay off the house but so what? If I invest the money now and let it grow, wont that house me in my old age?  <response>: Dont buy a house. Only buy when you really need to. Invest your remaining money, the expected return from equity investing is far greater than a house. 