[Bucketlist2012]

Greg...

Great points...Especially on a down day for Mickey Dee's...Long term it has been great.

And to your point of Housing vs. Investing...

My recent test was Buying a HOME in 2009, and adding six figures to my Investments , the same year.

Since I bought the HOME at the bottom, it hasn't gone down, but it sure hasn't gone up.

The money that I added to my Portfolio ? Haha, It pays my house payment and more...

My Wife in 2009 wanted to throw more money at the Home to increase the equity..We had long talks on why we shouldn't.

Thankfully she agreed with me, but she still gets nervous but knows we did the right thing Investing the money.

Sure at times the market has been up, down, and sideways, but it has and will outperform my HOME value..

Also I don't think of my Home as an Investment for profit, but a place to live, and I won't ever be taking money out of it..I am 52 with 27 years left on my loan..just like I want it..

I had friends that were able to buy their home for cash because they were afraid of the Market....Now they want to cash re-fi out...The bank won't let them..

They bank with chase , and they have their Investments with chase..Fools..

And they cannot get money out to pay off student loans, ect...I told them in 2009 , to get the house loan and to invest more....

They told me that their home was a guaranteed return....Yet now they struggle to work to pay the mortgage...

My Dividends pay mine...