Some people predict that asset prices will only go up compared to wages so if you buy a house today you'll be rich by the time you get old. There's a whole cult built around "SP500 grows 10% YoY".

And I don't buy into it. When I sold my late fathers home, about 30 years after he had originally built it, I sold it for a bit less than he had paid for having it built.

So no: Asset prices not necessarily always go up. It depends significantly on where you build/own and how that area develops over your lifetime.

But - this deferred gratification - paying a morgage now to pay less rent in the future is clearly a bet towards a future in retirement where one has less disposable income, so it makes - from my vantage point at least - sense to invest now to have more freedom later.

Others have freedom now - and need to potentially scale down later. Both are valid positions imho.

Edit: Typo