It's high time we told buyers, sellers and homeowners the truth about whether a home is a good investment.

Despite what Wall Street wants you to believe, owning a home isn't the same kind of investment as stocks or bonds. What you get is a USE asset that depreciates over time, while it grows in market value. All you have to do is keep the home in good repair to max out your take.

Here are five reasons why you get more for your money with a house than a worthless sock puppet.

1. Leverage: with stocks, you put in all your money for a little piece of a company. With a house, you put in a little money to get all of the house.

2. Tax benefits: Uncle Sam knows that owning a home is a pain in the neck, that's why you get subsidies. These are basically government bribes to get you to buy. What other investment can you put in 5 percent of the cost of the asset, reap all the appreciation and pay no capital gains? That's right: live in your home two years, rent it for three, sell it, and pay no tax on capital gains up to 250,000 for singles, $500,000 for married couples. And you're worried about paying too much?

   And that's not all - think about the benefits of fixed-rate mortgages, property tax write-offs, interest rate deductions, depreciation. Is this a great country or what?

3. Control: When you buy stocks, you're paying some CEO 500 times the average worker's salary for results you'd lose your job for. With a home, you have control - what you buy, how much you pay, and where you live. You can improve the value with repairs and updates. Compare that to getting heard at the next shareholders' meeting.

4. Lifestyle: Do you want to look at a dumpsite or your children playing in their own back yard? With a home, you're purchasing a vantage point for yourself and your family. The neighborhood you want to be in, the size and style home that fits your needs. And the more wisely you choose, the better off you are.

5. Value: Unlike our little sock puppet friend, your house will seldom become worthless. Barring a catastrophe, your home will retain a major portion of its value, even in the worst of times. So don't freak out about a losing a few percent this year. You'll make it up. Housing has lost value only one year out of the last 35. It's more normal to beat inflation by one to two percent.

Let's get a little perspective here. You lost a greater percentage on the stock market this year than if you owned a house. You lost more on your SUV. And you sure lost more on your iPhone.

And keep this in mind -- when it rains, which would you rather have over your head, a roof or a stock certificate?

So stop whining about the housing market. Complain about Wall Street instead.

Published: January 2, 2008

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.