Is it better financially in life to own a house or rent?

I am not familiar with any other states as I've lived in NYC my entire life. 

Such is life in real estate. 

I regularly listen to the BiggerPockets podcasts, have read "Set for Life" and "The Book on Rental Property Investing" and I am eager to continue learning about the world of Real Estate Investing. 

Many cities and counties have standards for a variety of things, including anything they view as a safety or healthy hazard.

Lived in East Providence for most of my life.

This means I need to buy products that have a good life span but are reasonably priced enough to make a profit.

BiggerPockets was thought up for someone like you, with your needs.In the culture I was raised in, there is a very old tradition to do absolutely nothing, make no major life decisions, until 40 days after a loss.

If you buy real estate in a decent area with healthy cash flow (after a realistic and conservative analysis, it is difficult to go too wrong. 

You should move to a less expensive apartment, cut all unnecessary expenses to the bone and adopt a more frugal life style.