To be fair, it's still better than renting. I'm curious how long a mortgage has to be before renting is a better buy for consumers, but I'd bet it's closer to 8

To be fair, it's still better than renting. I'm curious how long a mortgage has to be before renting is a better buy for consumers, but I'd bet it's closer to 80 years than 40. If you're spending $2k/month on rent vs interest, taxes, and equity, with the idea that you'll get at least the value of the equity back when you sell (and probably more, when inflation is higher than a fixed rate mortgage) you'll come out ahead no matter how long you hold the debt. And frankly 40 year mortgages are probably better than 30 years with debtors that can't afford the monthly rate. It's like 72 month car loans, it's a better deal for everyone.