[joseblanco]

My mom is the same way. Nothing fancy but like you said its a roof over your head. Many people have gone way beyond this simple concept of a house being a home. A home serving the most basic human utility of being where you live. Thus you should make the decision to own a home based upon it being where you want to live. Instead many people are buying with the perspective and decision making on it being an "investment" thus they buy into the hot or hip new plan/area that will double in value in 5 years. Sound familiar? Just thing back to the dot bomb days. Realty is less transferable and volatile than stocks and bonds. I think we've made it more volatile than it has been in the past between the inflated prices, exotic mortgage products and lose lending standards. However, we have not made it more transferable hence owners who bought under this triade of volatility will be left holding the bag it things go south over the next few years.