Renting is for Suckers

From the N.Y. Times:  Why rent when you can move back home? 

The author argues that the American obsession with real estate and independence is undermining our happiness and financial well-being:

I suspect that many young American adults who have to move in with their parents feel crummy about it. Most Russian immigrants I know do not. They don’t see it as a sign of failure but as a means to achieve their financial goals more quickly. Are Americans really all that desperate to break free of their parents? Or does the push toward independence originate from the top? Are baby boomers sending the not-so-subtle message to their children that they prefer an empty nest?

Steve Clowney