Do both. My aunt & uncle were both teachers, not poor, not wealthy. They rented a small place in NYC where ownership was prohibitive but they could enjoy the city’s offerings. After building resources by saving on the multitudinous costs of ownership, they purchased an inexpensive country house that created equity. They enjoyed both locales, plus the security of knowing they could stop renting whenever they wanted and still have a place to go, or they could rent out the upstate house to pay its bills if they weren’t using it for a stretch.