All the bad press about the housing market has some people discouraged about purchasing a home.  However, the truth is the advantages of homeownership have very little to do with investment gains, and a lot more to do with personal comfort and satisfaction.

Here are five of the best reasons to own a home:

Be your own landlord. The bank can only kick you out if you don’t pay; a landlord can be much less dependable – not keeping up with maintanence requests or even deciding to sell the property·

Paying the principal is forced savings. Yes, it’s possible that home prices will fall further. It is also possible that your 401(k) will lose value. But over the long haul, both are likely to enjoy modest gains in value.

 Fixed-rate mortgages never rise – and eventually you pay them off. With mortgage rates at record lows, people who buy now are locking in real bargains.

Good schools. Family-sized rentals are harder to come by in areas with excellent public schools, such as Lower Merion School District and Haverford Township School District.

Spacious properties in sought after neighborhoods. Sizable homes in attractive communities, such as neighborhoods along the Main Line are almost always owned – not rented.