[abalashov]

It's absolutely a net loss, but the $55k deficiency when I walked away was worse. However, I realise that this was an artifact of the recession.

Less flippantly: I look at it as a question of government distorting the housing market with tax policy, and whether to have a deductible housing payment or not. Any conceivable appreciation is perhaps a bonus, but I truly don't care.

Re: standard deduction -- it wasn't then what it is today, post-Trump tax cuts.