This broke my brain a bit. Chart shows a typical $500K mortgage at 8% fixed. You’re mostly paying interest for decades. Equity only kicks in the last 7–10 years.

Total paid: ~$1.2M. Interest alone: ~$700K.

I get its pros but levering up into an illiquid asset in a post-ZIRP world .. ??

Pls help me make sense why this is sold as the safe and very normal thing to do.

If it’s possible, it doesn’t hurt to pay extra towards the principal every month. It can reduce the total interest cost and maybe even help pay off the house sooner.

It is totally crazy, I remember how stunned I was when I first learned about this.