The Mortgage Trap

 The Mortgage Trap

I just watched the 2005 movie Thank You For Smoking for the first time recently. (I know, I know...in my defense, I was in high school when the movie was released, and I hardly watched any movies back then. I'm so far behind that I'll never catch up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

One line particularly struck me, when Heather Holloway (the reporter, played by Katie Holmes) asks the main character, Nick Naylor (an excellent portrayal by Aaron Eckhart) why he speaks and lobbies on behalf of tobacco companies. Naylor's reply was that it pays the mortgage. He then speculates that maybe the world would be a better place if everyone rented.

In fact, you can just watch the scene yourself:

Superb writing, and excellent acting and directing. Seriously, it's a really good movie, and I wish I had watched it before.

But this isn't a film review page, so let's get to the meat.

Would the world indeed be a better place without mortgages?

You may have read my 2018 article on why you shouldn't buy a house if you want to get rich. If you REALLY want to question everything you've ever learned, you should read my inspiration for that piece: Jim Collins' take on Why Your House Is a Terrible Investment.