Bought my first house when I was 21 and have owned several homes since. Right now, I own my home. The only time I've rented is when I've known I wasn't going to stay in one place for more than 3 years, though I got nailed doing that once when the house I was renting almost doubled in value while I was there
I also have raw land I've invested in and have owned a few rental homes through the years.