[dalereed]

I've neever owed anyone a cent other than a mortgage and it was paid off 14 years ago.

[Holly_P]

I've neever owed anyone a cent

I'm not old enough to have accumulated any debt (Or wealth) I hope to avoid the former and embrace the latter.

[Orange1998]

The little secret is you lease the property from the government. The local taxing authority gives you the right to stay if you pay. If you choose to not pay they will foreclose and evict.

[baltodog]

Luckily, all we have is our mortgage.

I have a Lab, Sheppard, and 3 kids because some guy told me that they increase in value. So far he's been wrong, but it's great fun.

We buy what we need, save up for what we cannot afford, and monitor down to the penny.

As we tell our kids: There is alot that we want, but nothing that we need.

[Walkingfeather]

what about the ten bucks you owed me for lunch 16 years ago?...... Forget about it.

[ambrose]

Owning a house free and clear isn't a terribly smart move, at least in asset protection terms. If some kid scales your wall and drowns in your swimming pool, your home insurance policy limits could be blown off and the deceased kid's parents would end up owning your house. Homestead exemption doesn't apply past 100k.

[jslade]

I've neever owed anyone a cent other than a mortgage and it was paid off 14 years ago.

You still don't "own the house". You still pay the government "rent" in the form of property taxes. And, if you don't pay, your "free and clear" home is gone. Got it!