A house is about the worst "investment" one can make, because it's not an investment, it's an expense. Think about all the costs that you have to pay when you own a house. You have to repair it. You have to pay for heating, electricity, water. You have to pay property taxes. A house is nothing more than huge a money sink. When I think of an investment, I think of something that pays me money. Really, it's a pretty simple thing to consider: which way is the cash flow going. Am I getting paid every month, or am I paying money to someone else every month?

Another negative thing about owning a house is the severe limitation on your freedom to move around. If you are renting you can just get up and leave with short notice. For example in case there are really good job opportunities somewhere else. What's the point of being anchored down to one location? I don't understand it.