[splwjs]

Last time I looked at the amortization schedule for a 30 year fixed mortgage the payback was about 250% of the loan amount.

No other figures are consequential. Mortgages are a predatory thing pointed at the financially illiterate and the hopeless right now.

[neogodless]

This is a pretty limited view of mortgages. In varies across countries, but in the U.S. a (relatively) low APR fixed rate 30 year mortgage is an amazing way to utilize leverage (only put up ~20% collateral) on an appreciating asset.

Paying $400,000 for a mortgage vs paying $80,000 and 6% over 30 years, but investing the remaining $320,000 in the stock market (returning ~7% after inflation) and your housing payment grows much slower than inflation.

That doesn't mean every mortgage is a good idea, or there aren't circumstances where the borrower ends up losing out, but it's a tool that can be utilized if you learn to understand it.