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It can be both, but in US real estate historically was seen as a good way to park money. I will venture to say that you are an outlier. I remember renting with

It can be both, but in US real estate historically was seen as a good way to park money. I will venture to say that you are an outlier. I remember renting with my SO. The jumps in rent were getting onerous to the point, when it became cheaper for us to actually buy a place. But again, each situation varies. Before living with my now wife just like you I lived in a small apartment, because that was all I really needed at the time ( and it was very budget friendly ).

throwawayboise 5y ago
Yes, as long as you start with a modest home that you can actually afford, it can work. The mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, on my first home (a small 2-br bungalow) was hundreds of dollars less (monthly) than the 1-br shithole apartment I was renting (shithole because I was trying to save for a down payment). At that point, as long as home values do what they normally do, you can upsize every 5 years or so if needed until you are in a home that really fits, rolling the equity gain in the former house into a larger down payment on the newer house. Mistakes people make: starting with too big a house where they are in trouble immediately if they miss a paycheck. Refinancing and taking equity out to spend on other "things" that depreciate or are consumables like boats, new cars, extravagant vacations, expensive furniture, etc.
- wayoutthere 5y ago
  Yeah this entirely. I had a 600 sq ft shoe box in a high-rise in a major city center for $1800/mo. My mortgage a mile and a half away on a 3000 sq ft house is $2000/mo. I don’t even use half the rooms in my house and it’s still a way better deal. And no less convenient as I still have everything I really need within a 3-4 block radius. And my mortgage will only get cheaper over time — especially if we get a ton of inflation.
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throwawayboise 5y ago

Yes, as long as you start with a modest home that you can actually afford, it can work. The mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, on my first home (a small 2-br bungalow) was hundreds of dollars less (monthly) than the 1-br shithole apartment I was renting (shithole because I was trying to save for a down payment). At that point, as long as home values do what they normally do, you can upsize every 5 years or so if needed until you are in a home that really fits, rolling the equity gain in the former house into a larger down payment on the newer house. Mistakes people make: starting with too big a house where they are in trouble immediately if they miss a paycheck. Refinancing and taking equity out to spend on other "things" that depreciate or are consumables like boats, new cars, extravagant vacations, expensive furniture, etc.

wayoutthere 5y ago
Yeah this entirely. I had a 600 sq ft shoe box in a high-rise in a major city center for $1800/mo. My mortgage a mile and a half away on a 3000 sq ft house is $2000/mo. I don’t even use half the rooms in my house and it’s still a way better deal. And no less convenient as I still have everything I really need within a 3-4 block radius. And my mortgage will only get cheaper over time — especially if we get a ton of inflation.

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