> I have to raise an eyebrow when someone says "truth" and/or "should", as if there's a hidden One True Way.

I'm not the OP, but I notice that it's very strange that the other major expensive durable good the typical American household will own [0] is a steeply depreciating asset.

I also notice that "housing as both shelter and investment" is not universal policy. Japan does things totally differently and has historically done well by it.

[0] That is, the automobile.