Yes, but you can be stuck with the house for a very long time, all the while paying the taxes and repairs. And selling a house is a BIG hassle (plus a payment o

Yes, but you can be stuck with the house for a very long time, all the while paying the taxes and repairs. And selling a house is a BIG hassle (plus a payment of 2-5% to the realtor). If you change your work (or your work changes you) and need to move, you may have to sell into a weak market and lose a lot of money. A good neighborhood can become bad, motown-style, etc. Foreclosings are a thing, especially in recessions. If you walk from a loan, you lose your principal (and get a lifestyle penalty: future loans, future jobs, etc.). This is not nearly in the same league as selling a stock you no longer like. > For housing, political force can be brought to bear. Sorry, by whom? By a large group, maybe; after a few years of lobbying. By a homeowner hit with an unlucky spell -- forget it.