Er, I should say, why I don’t own the house I live in (because I do have a mortgage. Two, actually.).
During the past several years, I have made conscious decisions about where I live, work and play. Living and working are two closely connected life activities because, well, everyone knows you have to work to earn money to pay for where you live. So, I choose to live with two roommates so that I don’t have to pay that much for where I live, which in turn means I don’t have to make as much money as other people (read: people with a mortgage) to pay for where I live.
Today I read this post from Seth Godin, who is quoted by every blogger in the universe. But today I don’t care, because this part was rather affirming:
If you have a steady job, matching your mortgage to your income isn’t dumb. But if you are a freelancer, an entrepreneur or a big thinker, a mortgage can wipe you out. That’s because the pressure to make your monthly nut is so big you won’t take the risks and do the important work you need to do to actually get ahead. When you have a choice between creating a sure-thing average piece of work or a riskier breakthrough, the mortgage might be just enough to persuade you to hold back.