[Rick Lee]

I bought my first house when I was 25, kept it for eight years. For most of that time, I had two roommates pay most of the mortgage for me. My share was about $90 per month. So I lived ok during that time. When I sold, I made a lot of money, which enabled me to put 20% down on my next house, buy some toys and then live alone. It was a great move all around. Homeownership can really, really suck when you have pipes burst, roof leaks, etc. But it can really pay off too, if you do it right. The fact that I owed the bank money really was a non-issue.