On CNN’s “In the Money” last week, Professor Chris Mayer gave viewers advice on whether to rent or buy their homes.“If you’re moving to a place and can find something to rent and you aren’t sure how long you’ll be there, renting makes a lot of sense,” said Mayer, the Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate. “And if you’re in a rental place you like, it makes sense—there’s no urgency to move out.”When Mayer considered the opposite situation—a family seeking permanent residence in a new city—he shared advice he had relayed to his own brother and sister-in-law. “They wanted to live in a place with their kids and they didn’t want to move around a lot,” explained Mayer. “Even if there’s softening in the market, the advantages of being a homeowner—between tax advantages and the ability to customize a house you like—are so valuable that I don’t think people should be afraid to buy houses right now.”Mayer’s frank advice led a viewer in Charlottesville to send him an email a few hours after the show. “My family and I were caught in a renting or buying dilemma very similar to what you described with your family,” the note reads. “Your real estate clarity and confidence reassured me that we probably made the right move. Thanks for making my day!”