Comment by temporarara

While there is some "leverage" in mortgage, you actually need to pay the whole sum, and with interest too, so taking a $200k loan means you pay usually something like $250k for it in the end, and this means you have to make $50k profit to not lose. And houses age too. If the location is superb you can justify it as an investment, otherwise it's pure nonsense in every way. Thinking normal housing as an investment is one of those reasons why we can't have nice things.