The House You'll Never Own
Does a smaller mortgage payment help a family become an owner if the debt lasts beyond its working life? Written in November 2025, this essay examines the proposed fifty-year mortgage through Depression-era penny auctions, foreclosure unrest, and the federal housing system's promise of loans with a reachable finish line.
Illustrative families buying the same house in different generations make the tradeoff personal: monthly relief now can mean a much longer claim on future income. The argument asks why government would favor a longer debt rather than address borrowing costs, housing supply…
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