[matsemann]

Lets say I pay $2000 each month in mortgage. Some of that is interest that I get to deduct on my taxes. So in practice I pay maybe $1700/month, and most of that is really me saving by building equity in my apartment.

Before I bought the apartment, however, I paid more than that in rent. And all that was money going to someone else. If anyone deserves a tax break, it's those not privileged enough to yet own their own home.

Edit: sorry, in my language "rente" is "interest", so I mixed them up and meant to say I get to deduct the interest part of my mortgage payment in my previous post. Probably where the confusion stems from.