A few months ago when I was trying to decide where to live, I was a guest with the prices of rent in the city. It seems like you can’t find a place to live for less than $1,000. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of cash to throw around just to have a roof over my head. I decided my best bet was to buy a house and to pay a mortgage, instead. It’s actually much cheaper to get a low-interest mortgage than it is to be a renter in this urban environment. When I was considering the lower cost-of-living, I definitely forgot one important factor. Being a homeowner means that you are responsible for taking care of the home. I have never previously had to worry about my roof, grass, or central heating and cooling equipment. In fact, any time I’ve ever had an air quality issue, I’ve always called my landlord and washed my hands of the HVAC drama. My property manager has always had to swoop in, no matter the hour, to find a trustworthy heating, cooling, and ventilation specialist. I’ve literally never had to schedule a heating or cooling service appointment, arrange for the air ducts to be professionally cleaned, or investigated the options for upgrading my air temperature control equipment. These days, I am suddenly having to do all of these HVAC chores. I don’t know how anybody keeps their head on straight while owning a home, because I feel like I’m going crazy with all of these indoor appliance maintenance concerns. Maybe it’s best to just pay rent for peace of mind.