You're not getting the point. Just because you can crunch numbers doesn't mean those who disagree with you can't.  They simply know that residential real estate is not like a commodity and should not be treated as such.  Homes and the security that home ownership provides have unquantifiable benefits for the community, which in turn are behind what made Canada so attractive.  

Unlike many G&M readers, who do financial analysis for a living AND pleasure (like I do), most people would not be investing in stocks if not paying towards a mortgage and that doesn't make them useless citizens.  I would not want to live in a society where everyone plans their future in an Excel spreadsheet (like me and most of my friends do) and only those with "financial knowledge" can have a secure family life and retirement.