Nick you make some great points that I haven't thought about. You say you investigated this and wrote an essay on it ? I rarely listen to what others tell me, but go with my own overthought process. But you got me thinkin. Say, you pay 1,200 a month for your mortgage and you have an escro account so you don't have to worry about ins. If you are paying 750 a month for rent, comparativly ,you realy only got 450 a month left to invest right ? So are you realy are investing a smaller amount. and the 750 is never to be seen again, not even a portion. I didn't even add renters ins. witch can be as expensive as a homeowners policy if you have ANY valuables = more likely for robbery's in renters properties. If you are recieving most of the interest back on the loan in taxes, and you get that back in the first seveal years of the loan. aren't you hitting a lick with that investment from jump , you don't go for the stupid traditional 30 year mortgage, and you do a 10 year , your interest rate is much lower like 4% or lower , your investment is easily seen in one decade ! If you are investing in a 401k that lets you handle your stocks yourself, you can't touch that untill your 60 years old and may never see it even if you live that long, if you do it will all go to Hospis It is easy to spend cash and cash in bonds, but hard to sell a house. I like the idia of buyin a home, willing it to family or children and giving them an opertunity to get a head start when they need it. Also how often do kids need to move back home when learning to live on thier own, and how hard it is out there, or while they go to college. or where will older folks go when thier children haven't even got a home to move them into and help take care of them ? i think it's a big iresposible direction to go. This next generation will be the first in history to NOT live better than thier parents did.