Although these, "Poke the Boomer" articles may be some people's perception, those of us in the Boom (born in 1962) know that real estate is an investment. It may or may not be used to pass down or to be used to fund medical care in later years like it was for my mom. If she hadn't had a home with equity she wouldn't have had the care she needed. And I know with certainty because my mom and dad lived through the Great Depression, their thrifty, cost-saving mentality is what allowed them to save money and be prudent spenders. In 1964 their house cost $34,000 and had a payment of $140 per month. BUT their income and cost of living was relative. EVERYTHING was a stretch of income. Interest rates were ridiculous. My dad was a CPA and my mom a teacher and we (family of 6) still drank powdered milk, and my sisters and I sewed most of our clothing, our brother did not. I had no inheritance except for a bag full of socks and the responsibility of closing down my parents' lives. Each generation owns its own F-ed up set of circumstances. To blame others is natural. To blame ourselves is an inconvenient truth. The gap between is where life is lived. Thanks for writing this insightful piece. Write on!