I live in the US and I've always found the idea of a house as something that is supposed to appreciate in value to be odd. Sure, it's great for you if it does, but I really don't think it should be an expectation. The only issue I can see when it comes to the price is if you want to move out after just a few years but the value has fallen. Hard to buy a new place when you're still on the line to pay the mortgage for your old place even after selling it.