What do people usually think of when they buy a house? "I will probably live here for a long time" (you're invested with your time), "I will save money by building equity over time". (you've invested in yourself financially for the long run) Of course, I wouldn't be able to list the numerous reasons why people want to buy a house.
Would it be wise to buy a house, or would it be considered being worldly and materialistic and an overall poor investment (spiritually speaking)?
I've discussed it with a Witness during our Bible studies before, and his reply was "if you set your roots here in this world, you will for surely lose your life in the end." He's talked about how other Witnesses' have downgraded (sold their property and lived a humbler life) and committing full time at Bethel. He's also told me that mortgage debt is actually the worst type of debt there is (not from a financial/ building equity/ etc standpoint, but a spiritual one) since you're going to invest your time and money for at least 30 years into something that wouldn't be permanent anyways.
What is the Witnesses' general stance on saving money on a down payment on a house, instead of, say, renting for the rest of your life? Is it the act of "setting your roots here" rather than buying the house itself?
Is home ownership considered an unnecessary luxury? Perhaps even a dangerous investment? How would this apply to Witnesses that owned property before becoming Jehovah's Witnesses? Would they be encouraged to sell off their homes?
If that is the case (not saying it is) how would it be for other things such as new cars, and other materialistic things that aren't necessarily bad in itself? Some are even necessities! Of course, it's not exactly an equivalent comparison since the price of buying a house far outweighs the price of a phone or car.
But I think you guys get my point by now. How do you guys view home ownership?