<prompt> Human: Right now buying a house is not even on my radar, as Im solely focused on paying off debt and building savingsretirement. Its going to be a long road, so I may change this thinking at some point.I love the idea of having a house, but I dont know that it would be worth it for me to buy a house. I work 6-7 days a week right now I have my dream job, so even if I could afford to work less, I dont know that I would, and when I am not working, I am usually out of my apartment hikingtrainingetc with my dogs. So I feel like I wouldnt have time to enjoy a house, let alone all of the work that comes with owning a home.I actually really like the non-maintenance part of renting. I dont have to maintain what the outside of my apartment looks like, mow the lawn, etc. I dont need to worry about unexpected expenses if something breaks. My job requires A LOT of driving. I can easily drive 70-100 miles a day. I feel like I spend more time in my car than I do at my apartment. My car is getting up there in miles and a larger vehicle would allow me to bring my dogs to work with me, Im a dog trainer, and will likely need to be replaced in the next couple of years. Would it be stupid to save and buy a nice, roomy car instead of saving for a down payment on a home? I feel like a nice car that fits my needs would be more important for my daily happiness than a home.And looking at it from a purely financial aspect, would it be a bad decision to never buy a home? When I read Ramseys book I know people dont really like him here, he says that buying a house is a great investment, but he did not elaborate on why.Thanks!  <response>: I actually really like the non-maintenance part of renting.Yep, thats a good feeling. Would it be stupid to save and buy a nice, roomy car instead of saving for a down payment on a home?not necessarily as long as you dont buy a brand new car on credit.he says that buying a house is a great investment, but he did not elaborate on why.This is why people dont like him here, its because they misunderstand him. A house is a bad investment by the numbers. you pay for 15 years on something at 5 that maxes out appreciation at 2. after tax, maintenance, utilities... its almost always a loss. Heres the thing though, people here are smart enough to know that, and Ramsey really wants to help people who cant necessarily get their head around that. A house is a good investment if you look at it like if im diligent and i buy a house and pay it off while im saving for retirement, then ill never have to worry about housing cost when im retired then its not such a bad deal. Since housing is usually the most expensive line in a budget, paying off a house and freeing up that extra 25 of your income can be amazingly beneficial. So its a good investment from a strategic standpoint rather than a numbers standpoint, and either way its better than renting long term since you get to keep at least some of your monthly payments in the form of equity. Now for your situation.since you dont really care about housing, the most logical thing to do here is to find a roommate. You can cut your housing expenses in half so that rent isnt eating your budget. As for your main question, once you get your retirementdebt situation under control because you took on a roommate and now you have extra money its probably dumb not to get into at least something you can call your own and not have to pay for every month. You might not want a big fancy house or anything, but sometimes a lot can be had for 80-90k and once youve paid it off you have a 90k asset thats pretty stable, you dont have the possibility of being evicted, and you get to keep your money. Its a good goal for retirement to own your own place. not to mention if a special someone comes into the picture and really wants a house down the road... you might wind up getting one anyway. 