I disagree. It’s too big a chunk of people’s net worth to not analyze like a financial investment, if only to make one stop and think about them opportunity cost of buying at various price points and how much you are really spending to consume living in a nicer house (because there is definitely a consumption angle.)

A primary residence even makes a good component of diversified portfolio so long as it is not the sole or dominant aspect of that portfolio.

I understand your point about it being a "forced savings plan", but with 5-10x leverage on most loans even a housing market that appreciates at inflation can provide significant returns (or losses) in the long run.