Originally Posted by DareRing

I am advocating actual ownership, not renting from the bank. Unless you mean that the government could confiscate my property from me for some unimaginable reason, but such a circumstance is sort of irrelevant to this discussion, isn't it?

I sympathize with the wage-slaves who won't ever own but, for the sake of this thread, if you make enough money to play in the stock market then you make enough money to own your home.

My first house was a cheap little thing I bought 6 years ago for $100K and I was able to pay that off very quickly simply by not wasting money. All it took was a few years of saving everywhere possible. Don't buy new cars, don't buy silly gadgets, or xbox, playstation, games, CDs, DVDs, memorabilia, etc. Limit going out to the movies, concerts, sporting events, vacations. You don't need the newest computer or cell phone. Your old clothes still fit. Don't eat out, don't smoke, don't go gambling, don't spend more than you need to live. No impulse purchases. Imagine how all this little stupid shit you don't need adds up. When you have a good income, but live modestly, you'd be surprised at how fast you can save. And as I saved more, I moved up to better property. The only time since then that I've ever had to borrow (temporarily) was when I was flipping, but I never risked my own home.