The New Renters: Men Happy to Be Freed From Home Ownership

This past week the New York Times published an article about men who purchased homes the past few years only to discover that they didn't, in fact, enjoy owning them at all. It details their homeownership experience. Some have already returned to renting, others are trapped as homeowners, unable to sell in the down market.

The article recounts the pressures of adulthood, on men of being "providers", and the psychology of and how those very same men who once thought they needed to own a home have quickly reconsidered in light of the stock market meltdown and housing bust.

“I’m in my 30s. If fixing something made me happy, I would have learned how to do it.”

The article is a somewhat humorous take on the work involved in owning a home, and the countless men who bought them, without understanding how much work is involved. One complained that he couldn't walk to anything from his subdivision, another says: “Why would I have any interest in fixing the bathroom sink?” Others complain about having to mow the lawn after working 60 hours a week, or locking themselves out and not having a super to help them get back in.