In any case, I bought in 2010 (not my first home) and so far the assessed value has doubled. Even if there is a housing "crash", I will probably lose only about 25% off that. By 2030, recessions or not, it will have probably gone up 4x. I'm not trying to rub it in your face, I'm merely suggesting this is still a great way to retire and you probably don't have a better plan.
Levi Strauss built an empire selling clothes to gold miners, most of whom would end up in ruin. Many many people in SV have made fortunes housing the equivalent of today's gold miners.
You were lucky to buy your house at the bottom of the 2008 housing crash, it doesn't mean that houses are a good investment today.
[1] https://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortages-real-estate/1...
Home equity is much more powerful than a fund investment, they are not equals.
what is? having a home that's appreciated 4x over decades to liquidate or having locked in a home to live in?
This commonly held wisdom seems to be a holdover from the pre-2008 days, and I wonder how much longer it will last.
http://www.businessinsider.com/map-of-us-housing-market-grow...
Unless you're buying property in a coastal city, odds are good that your home value will, at best, stay the same year over year. If you buy a house in flyover country it might actually depreciate.
Add to that the costs of a mortgage, property taxes, repairs, buying/selling fees and home ownership seems like one of the worst possible investments to me.