Buying a home happens for most people once or twice. A lot more due dilegence is expected than from someone who regularly invests in a 401k. Timing the stock market is a fool’s game, but you’d think someone would notice the ridiculous appreciation during the most recent housing bubble. Maybe this guy pulling in 250k thought everyone else was too.
Or maybe he just needed a place to live and was sick of moving and having to answer to a landlord. With an income like that he could have bought a lot more than a $500K house. If anything the guy was extremely prudent in his home purchase. Sure he probably “lost money” in the last couple of years due to depreciation, but if he doesn’t sell he doesn’t lose a thing. And he still has a place to live. Had he rented, his landlords might have sold the house out from under him and forced him to move. Or even worse, what if his landlord was a deadbeat and didn’t pay the mortgage on the property? The sheriff could show up and he’d have to move on short notice. The peace of mind that comes with having your own place is worth something too. Not saying anyone should go beyond their means, but this guy clearly didn’t.