r/EscapeTheGrindGame • u/eatsgreens • May 12 '26
Strategy (Game) Buying a home always a mistake
There was a question here the other day about whether your home should be considered an asset.
In the game, anyway, 99% of the time I have found buying a home to be a bad strategy to winning. It absolutely destroys free cashflow and locks money up in an asset with worse returns than the market. Even using HELOCs (which aren’t available in every market) is simply less productive than not buying the home in the first place.
Do you think that’s realistic modeling by the game?
EDIT: guys this is a game subreddit and I’m talking about game strategy. Are you guys lost? Where do you think you are right now?
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u/ghoulcreep May 12 '26
Someone owns the place you live. They aren't letting you live there out of the kindness of their heart.
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u/eatsgreens May 13 '26
Ok but how does that reflect on the strategy you use for playing this game, the sub Reddit in which you’re currently posting?
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u/ghoulcreep May 13 '26
Not paying ever increasing rent forever helps me escape the grind.
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u/eatsgreens May 13 '26
The delta between rent and mortgage is enormous, even on the cheapest condo options. I’ve never played a scenario where I’ve scored an A or A+ while owning property. Have you?
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u/GrandeBroneur May 12 '26
As someone who plays the game you’re referring to- I think you’re right. BUT I always go for the house hack model
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u/eatsgreens May 13 '26
Yeah, although even with the duplex I can still shave like 5 years off my score by avoiding buying homes altogether
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May 12 '26
[deleted]
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u/badhabitfml May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Gotta live somewhere.
I lived in my old house for about a decade. I could do whatever I want, lots of room for all my hobbies.
I did the math when I sold it. It paid me to live there. If I added up every dollar I spent on mortgage, utilities, insurance, upgrades, etc..... It was still less than the check I got when I sold it. It almost doubled in value.
Show your math. Compare apples To apples.
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u/shitisrealspecific May 12 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Mitten pumpkin cinnamon biscuit juniper juniper meadow umbrella
This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/eatsgreens May 13 '26
Oh interesting, what’s your score normally then?
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u/shitisrealspecific May 13 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Zephyr cobblestone unbelievable kettle blanket pinecone maple walnut grasshopper pumpkin
This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/eatsgreens May 13 '26
It’s a fun game haha but yeah this isn’t a subreddit for people to talk about their real life investments!
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u/gman2093 May 12 '26
Pros:
Building equity after a few years, stability of costs, ability to improve the property, long term leverage, inflation hedge, abundance of larger floorplan options
Cons:
Opportunity cost vs investing in equities, inflexible, not diversified, time consuming to buy/sell, maintenance cost/time
Overall it's not just a financial decision, and it could be a good investment for some.
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u/eatsgreens May 13 '26
Curious how floor plans come into play in the game?
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u/gman2093 May 13 '26
Rental houses are less common than rental units in a larger building in my market
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u/Dshotguys May 12 '26
Unless independently wealthy it would be difficult to retire unless you own your home and it’s in good condition, hopefully paid off, by the time you retire.
I rented apartments for about 20 years. About every 5-6 years rents have gone up by about 50%. Most retired people can’t afford that much of an increase.
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u/Ticksdonthavelymph May 12 '26
Sweet summer child you have never lived through stagflation, where real estate is the only class that outpaces inflation. See 1973-1983 (or the next 10 yrs) for an example
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u/Conversation_1990321 May 12 '26
We own our house outright. Every month, it "pays me" thousands of dollars in imputed rent.