That's definitely the case for my family. Every time we gain some extra money, it disappears. 5 years later however, our house has gained a ton of value, and

That's definitely the case for my family. Every time we gain some extra money, it disappears. 5 years later however, our house has gained a ton of value, and we can upgrade to a better house with the same mortgage. And in my experience, the better house rises in value faster than our previous houses. My homes have gained far, far more value than I've ever added thru my own equity payments. Not that I'm promoting this system. The cost of housing and rent is so insane at the moment, I don't know what to do about my kids who are growing up fast...