Opher, I do understand your point. I grew up with that mentality and abandoned it several years ago when I got serious about building wealth.

Owning a home is "less bad" than renting, in general. It has a "less negative" rate of return. That doesn't make it an asset or an investment.

Investing requires a positive rate of return, and owning a home does not meet that criterion.

The choice between owning and renting is a financial decision that each family must make, but neither is investing. They are expenses and should be treated as such.

Thinking that you are investing in an asset when you buy a home is like trying to win a race with weights tied around your feet.

Reduce your expenses, and invest the rest in real assets with much better rates of return. That is how you build wealth. Putting all your money into a house and having nothing left over is not a good strategy.