<prompt> Human: i understand the pros of paying off your mortgage early...no payments, house is in your name alone. the only downfall i can think of is not having the interest of the mortgage as a tax write-off. im hoping my dad who is financially illiterate will pay it off soon but im trying foresee the downfalls.  <response>: Since I paid off my mortgage, Im having a lot of trouble. Trouble getting the smile off my face. 