>using all that the neighborhood offers etc. Great general comment but this specific point is one I try to make to people I know that are in the insanely stres

>using all that the neighborhood offers etc. Great general comment but this specific point is one I try to make to people I know that are in the insanely stressful, desperate search for buying a house. In LA, there are plenty of neighborhoods on the way up or already there with houses at minimum of $600-700k. I hear all the typical rhetoric from these folks of "why waste all my money on rent, when I can get equity, etc." and I try to point out that yes, you're "building equity" for 30 years but you should also be ready for the reality that in 10-15 years (or sooner) the shit could hit the fan. When looking at a house, instead of purely as investment vehicle, maybe approach it as "If the house doesn't grow in value, or even sinks a little bit, would I still be happy to call this place and my neighborhood my home?" Because I think that gets lost and none of the reality tv shows help. You're taking out a 30-year mortgage and hopefully you get 30 years good use out of the house and much more. Will it be enough to raise kids, relax, enjoy neighborhood stuff, what have you? So much is about the money/investment side of it that I think lots of folks lose sight of the idea of a "home".