The freedom to do what you want in your own home and not have to answer to a landlord. For that very reason I would not buy a house in a neighborhood with a homeowners association. If I want to fence my yard in, cut down a tree, and plant another tree in a different place, it's my yard, my business.
Don't know about where you live but where I do it's cheaper to have a mortgage than rent a house. Ok you have to do your own up keep but you're paying the house off so there's equity in it.
Usually mortgage payments are less than rent. You get your money back (minus the interest) when you sell. No one can tell you what you can do with the space.
You can hire someone for the lawn. Or xeriscape so you don't have to mow.
@IloveLucy yup and when it's all said and done you still have nothing. Paid 70k now worth 650k even with maintenance and all the rest I come out way on top.ill sell it in a few years and move to a cheaper place spend 2-300 k and put rest in with my retirement,when gone leave to kids
home ownership would allow you and a Girlfriend/wife or roomies with bennies paint the walls naked leading to a paint fight and paint fueled orgy and not worry about a landlord inspecting and finding the huge smear with obvious breast marks and butt marks all over the walls