Renters are happier. That is worth something.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/realestate/homeownership-...
Selling my residence is so far down my personal list of "frictions to relocation" as to be irrelevant. I hate moving, period. So does my wife.
I also personally do not see having to dispose of a property when moving as that big a deal. Again, that's me.
> Renters are happier. That is worth something.
First off, the article doesn't say that. It says that owners are generally not any happier.
Second, it's one citation. You shouldn't be making absolute statements off one citation.
Third, the overall thrust of the research is the more general "experience > stuff". I find that to be a highly personal decision and not something where population studies can inform the individual.
Leveraging other people's money. You can't buy 100k of stocks with only 10-20k, but you can get a mortgage and buy 100k of real estate.
But, if you want to keep it super simple, I think the OP's advice is spot on.
Mortgage interest payments are still fully deductible, up to $750k of principal.
Your real estate appreciation figure doesn't factor in things like: rent (either payed to you if its nor your primary residence or rent you don't have to pay if living in your primary residence) and all the tax breaks associated with home ownership. With those additional sources of income, it's possible for real estate to be competitive with stocks.