You aren't really paying down much of the mortgage until you are several years into it. Your mortgage payment goes several directions. I am three years into my mortgage and interest, taxes, and insurance greatly outweigh any principle that would be paid down. My mortgage payment is 1150 per month. I have "owned" my house for almost 4 years on a 30 year mortgage. I have paid down 6 thousand dollars of principal out of the 40k that I've made in mortgage payments. If I sold, I wouldn't get that equity back even if I sold it for only what I paid for it ( I couldn't, housing market is down in my region). So, if I wanted to leave I couldn't without going into foreclosure and ruining my credit. It isn't as rosy as it looks from the outside.