Here's where I am at the end of 30 years.

Only if you make it that long, though. I'm a bit bitter because we bought a house and had to sell within two years because I lost my job and had to move to a new city. So even though our house appreciated in value, due to closing costs we lost a ton of money.

I think there are better investements than owning a home, espeically depending on where you live (here in Texas and especially San Antonio it's VERY economical to buy a home- it's almost a no brainer). Hower, the point is that it is more than an investment. If what you want (and not everyone does) is a backyard, freedom to do whatever you want to it (which, by the way, isn't necessarily true- I can't knock out a wall or put up a new one without first consulting with the city), and all of the other joys that come with owning a home, then I'd say there's a strong posibility buying a home is the right thing to do. However, if you like the convenience of renting and the lack of responsiblity, there's a lot to be said for that too.

I personally enjoy having my own little piece of the world that I call my own (though at this point it really belongs to Wells Fargo except for a door handle or two ).