Quote:
Originally Posted by Peaches
Yes, if only we had all had a crystal ball 40 years ago  |
Correct, RE is way less of a gamble than almost anything else. Many ppl could have been millionaires if they had invested in Microsoft in the early 80's but that comes with the crystal ball, hindsight, 20/20, pure luck factor.
A home may not be the "best" investment if we focus strictly on money, but not everything is about maximizing your dollar. It's still an investment that can be financially rewarding in the long run, but it is the peace of mind, comfort, pride of ownership, that is half of the benefit. You want to be able to enjoy life while living it. You may make slightly less than you theoretically could if you 1) gambled in stocks or 2) were so financially savvy/responsible that while renting you invested that extra money you had (that would otherwise be spent on utilities, mortgage interest, property taxes) most wisely over the course of 40 years. It's not worth it IMO and it's so unlikely.
It reminds me of those compound interest calculations where you have something like $10k in your bank account and every day you put in $10 and after 40 years you have a million dollars in the account. How many people do you suppose have or will do this? None. People just don't live like that. We eventually spend that $10 on other things throughout our lives, lose sight, are irresponsible, lack the will, etc etc.