Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

Up until now, property has always been a good investment for special people who can deal with it; however, buying a house is still the best investment any family can make. There's the increase in equity as prices go up, special tax advantages, and buying is usually cheaper than renting. Pride and comfort in owning your own home also has significant personal value. Home ownership is one of the things American society has excelled at; government lending organizations facilitate it, it's subsidized by federal tax policy, and neighborhoods are increasingly being designed to enhance the sense of community. The key is that you are pursuing a career with dependable income and location, which is why home ownership is an aspiring Middle Class investment. Mortgages are not for the poor and unskilled, which is where the problems are coming from.

Though increased home ownership used to be one of government's primary goals, now-a-days it's in direct conflict with the drive for urbanization; high rises, multi-unit condos, no yards; that comes from people envious of the lifestyles of those more fortunate than themselves; and since the Middle Class is decreasing as a percentage of the population, personal home ownership is often denigrated and discouraged in some political circles, especially the socialist-leaning and those uninspired by The American Dream. There are literally people who refuse to even enter the suburbs of well-maintained individual family homes with delicate yards and cars in the driveways, and that number is increasing, so owning a house as an investment has both financial and social implications that are in flux. Still, you should do it if you can.