I wonder about this too, but it depends on your individual situation. If your home is paid off, no mortgage, and it provides you with food and/or recreation, that is a plus. Hard to put a price on enjoyment of nature and animals that you have. Plus, if you think about it, when you rent, you are paying someone else's property taxes for them each month. So it just depends. Now if its a secondary property that you rent out, then i def dont think thats a smart decision. Any way you look at it, you have to live somewhere.