On the topic of "paying off your loan": be a little careful with that, because for the first several years of a mortgage (at least as usually structured in the

On the topic of "paying off your loan": be a little careful with that, because for the first several years of a mortgage (at least as usually structured in the US, but I think this is typical elsewhere too) you're not paying off the principal by very much; and if you rent rather than buy, you are not responsible for building upkeep and the little surprises that an owned home always seems to throw at you at inconvenient times.