One big difference is that you are constantly paying property taxes on the house, levied as a proportion of its total value, making the mere ownership of it a f

One big difference is that you are constantly paying property taxes on the house, levied as a proportion of its total value, making the mere ownership of it a financial burden. Stock ownership comes with no such burden. Another is that, should the need arise, stock can be sold at the drop of a hat. It is liquid and fungible so a stock-collateralized loan is seen by banks to be a very safe investment. Houses are not.