[robeym]

I don’t think we should be discouraging people from buying homes. In a healthy market, the goal should be more households owning the homes they live in, not more homes being accumulated by investors and non-owner-occupant buyers.

The mistake is not buying a home. The mistake is buying too much home, stretching the term too far, and ignoring maintenance.

A cheaper house, shorter loan term, and realistic repair/addition budget change the math a lot.

Own what you can actually afford to maintain.