Sorry to say that I find you to be totally wrong on renting being better than owning. I have personal experience to show otherwise. Three examples:

1. Purchase of a two-unit house in 1972 for $29,000. Sale of that same house in 1977 for 85,000.

2. Purchase of single family house in 1991 for $320,000. Sale of that same house in 2004 for $850,000.

3. Purchase of three-unit building in 1977 for $140,000. Still live in one of those units. Approximate value of building now, in 2020, is in excess of $3,500,000.

The increase in value of these properties takes care of more than enough of the expenses incurred.

As for your argument concerning predictability: I find that living in a place I own is much more predictable than renting. When you rent, a landlord could tell you at almost any moment that he needs you to vacate the premises so that he can move into it himself, or have a family member move in, or because he wants to sell the building and deliver it empty to the new owners. Some cities have strict laws protecting renters, but in may areas you will have no such protection.