Yahoo Finance | ‘I don’t care’: Charlie Munger once said single people shouldn’t buy homes — how to invest in property, married or not
‘I don’t care’: Charlie Munger once said single people shouldn’t buy homes — how to invest in property, married or not
The late Charlie Munger, longtime friend and business partner to the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, was himself an investing magnate with a trove of wisdom for everyday investors.
Aside from his knowledge, Munger’s wit was on frequent display at Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings, including airing his opinions on U.S. housing habits.
One of his core arguments? Homes should be reserved for families who intend to live in them.
At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholders in 1998 (1), Munger famously quipped: “The single people, I don’t care if they ever get a house.”
It was a bold statement, and one that doesn’t necessarily align with conventional wisdom — although some modern gurus disagree.
That’s because real estate is often regarded as one of the best wealth-building assets for many middle-class households, regardless of marital status.
And the numbers arguably support this view: The total value of home equity for homeowners in America skyrocketed between Q1 2020 and Q1 2025, rising from $21.5 trillion to $34.1 trillion in those five years alone (2).
So, before you go off selling your home alone, here’s what investors should consider about real estate as a long-term asset class.
For many Americans, buying a home is seen as the ultimate financial milestone and a cornerstone of the American dream. But not everyone agrees it’s a smart investment.
Grant Cardone, a real estate mogul, claims your primary home is a “terrible investment.”
“[A home] doesn’t cash flow. You don’t get big tax write-offs because of it. You have no leverage. You’re living in it. You’re paying for it. You never own it,” Cardone said during a podcast interview with Sean Kelly in 2024 (3).
Even after the mortgage is paid, you’re still on the hook for things like taxes, insurance, HOA fees and maintenance. According to a 2025 analysis by Zillow and Thumbtack, these costs average about $15,900 across America, soaring to as high as $24,000 in larger metropolitan areas like New York — all of which comes on top of your mortgage payments (4).
On the flip side, Buffett sees real estate as a potential wealth-building powerhouse because it can generate income.
Unlike a primary residence, rent-paying apartments are productive, cash-flowing assets. In fact, he once famously said that if someone offered him 1% of all the apartment buildings in the U.S. for $25 billion, he’d “write you a check (5).”
Either way, if you want to earn income from real estate but aren’t keen on the headaches of being a landlord, there are ways to invest without the stress.
Read More: I’m almost 50 years old and don’t have retirement savings. Is it too late?
For most individuals, the most significant investment one will ever make is in their primary residence.
The ability to take on a highly leveraged position in real estate and grow equity as property values rise over time offers significant financial benefits. Instead of paying rent and having “nothing” to show for it after 30 years, homeowners who make their monthly mortgage payments will accumulate substantial equity by retirement.
This “forced savings” phenomenon is a key reason why most household net worth is so often tied up in real estate.
But for those looking to expand their residential real estate portfolio beyond their primary residence, or even invest in real estate while saving for a down payment on their own home, there are several options.
For example, new investing platforms are making it easier than ever to tap into the real estate market.
Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, earning a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property.
To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for thei
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Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/don-t-care-charlie-munger-113900501.html
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