<prompt> Human: I have saved over 300K in cash. I live in low cost area of texas and I can buy a pretty decent house for 250K. A 30 year mortgage will end up costing me around 500K total. Is paying the whole house down a smart strategy if you can afford it?  <response>: whether or not its smart is dependent on many things. unloading 250k cash carries some risk and there are plenty of opportunity costs 