Renting vs. Owning: The Ongoing Debate Among Friends

Friends and acquaintances from all over Germany gathered in a northern city to celebrate a milestone birthday, the fortieth, with some having not seen the birthday person since their thirtieth.

In the intervening years, these friends had moved cities, changed partners, some had aged, others remained remarkably youthful, had children, or were contemplating starting a family. Marriages had occurred for romantic or less romantic reasons, and now, at the party, they found themselves flirting with the same people they had ten years prior. Some had taken over family businesses, while others worked as delivery drivers. A surprising realization at midnight, shared by a bonfire, was that none of them had gotten divorced yet, as a group of French guests sang "Le vent nous portera" inside a barn.

There was dancing, eating, and drinking, much like old times. However, something had shifted. It wasn't the presence of children, most of whom had been left at home with their screens. The change became apparent during the taxi ride from the train station to the farm, when a word that had been avoided at the thirtieth birthday celebration was finally uttered: "Immobilie" (real estate).

And with "Immobilie" came discussions of mortgages, down payments, net household income, tax brackets, mold, and modular corner sofas. People expressed their worries about impending eviction for owner's use and sky-high rents. They pondered whether it was time to escape the rat race, invest, buy a property, and provide their children with a stable future, sparing them the "mindfuck" of being an average German tenant: meekly agreeing to rent increases every three years, tolerating leaky windows, and constantly fearing an eviction notice or facing personal ruin.

By the second day of the birthday festivities, it was clear that Friend 1 was planning to buy a house they couldn't afford. Friend 2 had a rooftop terrace, granting them a perceived ticket to paradise. Friend 3 was agonizing over the fact that the money they had paid their landlord over the past 25 years could have easily purchased their own property. This thought truly tormented them.

A valuable lesson for all future milestone birthdays and social gatherings: When people extensively discuss their housing situation, don't interrupt, even if they all share the same story of feeling trapped. It's a way for them to cleanse their souls, battered by housing capitalism.

As the bonfire embers dwindled and the French guests' singing grew louder (continuing until 5 AM), more wine flowed. Eventually, the rental sagas were exhausted, and the old friends and acquaintances finally asked, "So, how are you *really* doing?"