[americafun]

Hum, no?

I would say a prerequisite for safe retirement is to have enough to buy a home outright in cash, otherwise mortgages will weigh you down like a stone:6% interest on a 1 million gbp loan in the UK is unpayable for majority of people even in London and yet you wont find anything worth buying there below that price.

Also we should stop saying a house has equity: it doesn't. You are a paying off a loan for a commodity. A house is like a car or groceries: necessary, yes, but not an investment, unless its luxury. This is how we exploded house prices.

[Thorrez]

Your first line sounds like you're disagreeing with phkahler, but the rest of your comment sounds like you're agreeing with phkahler.

Both of you say a mortgage is unacceptable.

[jacquesm]

A house is equity once you've started paying down on the principal and the home is not 'under water'. Until then it is a liability.

[xupybd]

Assets that increase in value over time are investments. Regardless of their utility.

Equity is simply the assets you hold. You can have equity in a car or groceries only it will disappear quickly if you don't sell the car or groceries.