You aren't likely to get much or a response to a "tell me everything you know" type of question. Your best bet is to go through the very voluminous archives of past post. Click on "Search" on the blue bar near top of every page and use the DR1 search engine to explore the archives.
Obviously your friends have what they think are good reasons and that is all that is important for them.
If you are thinking maybe you would like to buy a property, too, then ask the specific questions you have and ask for help in answering them. But the more specific the question, the better.