Equity stories ignore phantom costs: maintenance, HOA, taxes, opportunity cost of the down payment. Run full ownership math, not slogan math.
Phantom costs can erase the equity story.
Other Truths you may like to hear
Money
Your salary is a drug
Own assets or stay rented forever.
MoneyHouse-rich cash-poor is a trap
Do the math; sometimes renting keeps you free.
MoneyDebt loves optimistic forecasts
Stress-test payments at unemployment rates.
MoneyA car is a depreciating safety box
Buy reliable used; invest the lease difference.