Offer your thoughts or opinion on the input financial query or topic using your financial background.

How does owning a home and paying on a mortgage fit into family savings and investment?
Have you ever tried adding up all your mortgage payments over the years? That sum, plus all the money that you put as a down payment (including various fees paid at closing) plus all the repair and maintenance work etc) is the amount that you have "invested" in your house. (Yes, you can account for mortgage interest deductions if you like to lower the total a bit).  Do you still feel that  you made a good "investment"?