Here's the question though:
Could you afford to buy your own house today at market price?
Well, yes, we could, because our incomes have kept up well; in fact, through refinancing, the mortgage payment is cheaper than when we moved in. I said to my husband, I don't know how we managed in the beginning, and he reminded me that we also had a lot of credit card debt then - since we didn't have much in savings!
Thankfully that has changed over the years through good money management. Could I buy my house today at its market value of $600,000 or so? Yes. Am I glad I don't have to? You bet.