Let me give you a situation here:

Brenda and Lisa buy their first house. It is tiny and they really have to scrimp and save to afford it, but it is theirs and they love it. Within the first few years of owning the house, Brenda loses her job in her niche field due to a recession. After months of unemployment she finally finds a job, but it is several hours away from their home. They end up moving away for Brenda's job.

At this point if they were to sell the house they would lose $20,000 due to the current market and real estate agent fees. They are not in a position to take on a loss like this -- especially with the debt they accumulated when Brenda was unemployed.

You are telling me that Brenda and Lisa should be forced to take on a $20,000 loss or be taxed heavily? That they shouldn't rent out their house to cover their mortgage while they try to recoup their losses? That they are bad people for being landlords?

I have never owned property but would one day like to own my own home. For now, my husband and I rent a wonderful rowhome at an amazing price with a back yard for our dog. For the same price we could rent a 1 to 2 bedroom apartment with no outdoor area. We would not be living in Baltimore if we could not rent a single family home.