>Buy the biggest house you can reasonably afford Strongly disagree with this. Buy the house you need, and only if you intend to stay there at least 5 years.

>Buy the biggest house you can reasonably afford Strongly disagree with this. Buy the house you need, and only if you intend to stay there at least 5 years. On the one hand I acknowledge the US tax code and housing policy encourages home ownership, but on the other, you're completely discounting the utility costs, maintenance / reno drag, and transaction costs that come with owning more home than you need. While I was moving every year or so for new opportunities, I happily rented. When I moved to a local tech hub where I felt I could put down roots? I happily bought, but I only bought what I needed. I saw a lot of classmates buy a home prematurely, and effectively be 'stuck' looking for work in the same small job market their whole career, where moving really helped mine.