We sold our house in Maine that we lived in for 32 years. We bought it for about $10,000 on 5 acres of land. It was nothing more than a small camp and we lived in it while expanding and finishing it over the course of about 15 years. We did most of the work ourselves. After our kids went to college and left home, we sold the house put the money in the bank and traveled the world for four years. When we came back to the states, we thought we’d never own a home again. We loved living the life of a minimalist. Owning stuff can put limits on your personal freedom. Following the 2008 crash, however, we realized that having all of our money in the bank was pretty risky. So, even though we really weren’t keen on owning and caring for a house again, we bought our current dwelling with cash from our previous dwelling which had remained untouched since we sold the house. We’ve lived in this house for about 12 years. Owning a house that is paid for does give us a sense of comfort. Our house is now priced at double what we paid for it but I don’t see that as a good thing. That only tells me that young people are gonna find it harder and harder to buy a house and pay it off within their lifetime.