Enough with renting!!

I've moved on average, once per year since I was 12. No joke. Is that odd? I mean, it seems like we as Americans are big movers and willing to relocate to other places around the United States for a good job or new experience. In fact, I rarely meet anyone who hasn't moved out of their home state at least once.

With interest rates on home loans being what the are, people are buying homes instead of renting. Because of this, nationwide apartment chains such as um, well, Avalon Bay, are having to provide more incentives up front and sneaking in the extra fees buried in the contract. My case in point being the fact that our current lease requires what I understood to be a 60 day notice. When I spoke with someone in the rental office about this I was told it was actually a 60 day fee for breaking the lease, on top of continuing to pay rent for 60 days. So, I'm paying for 4 months rent. I was also told that this is because "you know, the apartment could sit empty for 120 days" if they can't rent it out. Regardless of when my lease is up (I could be paying month to month for $500 more per month) but the apartment would become vacant at that the end of contract anyhow. Maybe I don't know how costs are determined in large apartment complexes. So, I wonder, is this now normal for apartments to try to charge this type of fee?

Regardless of my own issues, this may just be an example of why people really want to buy. As a renter, the appropriately middle-age gothic yet still used name, landlord, always seems to have the final say.