My answer is own! Own? In this market? Are you nuts? House prices have skyrocketed! Real (adjusted for inflation) home values are up 60 percent over the past decade. You have to back up 16 years – to 2006 – to see real house prices anywhere close to where they are now. Plus, rents haven’t
It seems that where some people might become confused is that they compare the cost of paying CASH for a house (i.e., your $300k example) vs. renting. As you point out in this article, mortgage rates have been historically low, and even now (April 2022) are still on the low side. If someone can have the benefits of a house by only placing 20% down -- say, $60k on your hypothetical house -- then they can still invest the other $240k in vehicles that are likely to grow over time.
It seems that where some people might become confused is that they compare the cost of paying CASH for a house (i.e., your $300k example) vs. renting. As you point out in this article, mortgage rates have been historically low, and even now (April 2022) are still on the low side. If someone can have the benefits of a house by only placing 20% down -- say, $60k on your hypothetical house -- then they can still invest the other $240k in vehicles that are likely to grow over time.