Rent vs. Own a Home

I’ve been researching and thinking about renting vs. owning a home. We plan to scale down for retirement in the next few years and maybe moving closer to work. The American Dream is to own, but I’m beginning to think this applies to people who plan to stay in one place for many years. Retirement years are different. Mobility, lower costs, lack of long-term financial commitments, staying near family (Czech Repubic comes to mind), NO DEBT, and playing with stocks for investment seem more appealing to me. The arguments range far and wide trying to persuade one way or the another. The mortgage companies push for ownership, others suggest the benefits of renting. Any thoughts?