<prompt> Human: My long term SO and I have decided to move in together. Weve looked at a few duplexes so far and are now considering buying a home as an investment, instead of pouring rent down the drain.We both have stable jobs and salaries, have low-to-average student loans, one of us is making car payments. We both have savings and are saving for retirement, we both have great and affordable health insurance.Any advice on renting versus buying, and how to buy a home as an unmarried couple would be extremely helpful. We just dont know where to start.Thank you!  <response>: I suggest renting for at least a year - you really arent throwing away that much money. It offers you flexibility should you two break up, want to look for a new job in a new city, or want time to figure out what kind of place you really want to settle into for several years.Since this is your first time living together its going to take a while to figure out how you operate in the same household, what kind of home suits you both, how much of a commute you are both willing to deal with, etc. Ive been together with my SO for 10 years, and while we have lived together just fine and are basically married without the paper, I would never consider buying a property together until we get married. Its just too complicated. 