NEW YORK - Someday, 26-year-old Lisa Carlson would like to own her own home. But right now, she's happy sharing a rented apartment with a friend in suburban Minneapolis.

There's no question that owning a home is a desirable goal, and low interest rates in recent years have made it possible for millions of Americans to buy their first houses, invest in income property or trade up to a larger home. For many others, though, there are good reasons to continue to rent.

For young people such as Carlson, it's not a bad strategy to get one's financial life in order before taking on the kind of debt required to buy even a modest condominium or starter house.

Carlson, who works at the Colle + McVoy public-relations agency, said she is focusing on paying off her college debt, then will turn her attention to accumulating money for a down payment on a house. She said that she's wary of moving too fast because she's seen friends struggle when they were financially unprepared to buy.

Diane Saatchi, senior vice president with the Corcoran brokerage in East Hampton, N.Y., said that in some communities, home prices are so high and rents are so low that many find it advantageous to rent. This is especially true in cities such as New York, where rent-control laws have kept a lid on rental prices.

For people such as Xavier Lanier, 27, the rapid run-up in home prices in recent years — including in his home community of San Francisco — have discouraged him and his wife, Amish, from trying to buy.

That kind of math has convinced him, that “owning just doesn't make any sense” right now. Lanier also has watched what has happened to friends and acquaintances who have tried to buy despite the high prices.

One couple can only find properties they can afford 45 miles outside of San Francisco, he said. Another friend is spending $5,000 a month for a one-bedroom loft in a crime-ridden neighborhood, he said.

Financial planner Brian T. Jones, author of “Getting Started — The Financial Guide for a Younger Generation,” said the key to making the move from renting to buying is cash flow.

“People need to make sure they have the money not only for the mortgage but for other expenses that come with ownership,” he said, including real-estate taxes, insurance, and repair and maintenance costs.

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