Why Investing in Stocks Beats Buying a Home

In this Market Mondays clip, hosts Ian Dunlap, Rashad Bilal, and Troy Millings tackle one of the most controversial financial topics: Is investing in stocks better than buying real estate? Using real-life examples and hard-hitting facts, the Market Mondays crew breaks down the opportunity cost of owning a home versus putting your money into the market.

Rashad sets the scene by challenging the conventional wisdom around home ownership, arguing that most people overlook all the extra costs that come with buying a house—down payments, maintenance, taxes—and how that money could be fueling investments instead. Ian takes it further, sharing his personal experience of choosing a modest lifestyle in favor of building genuine wealth through smart investing. The trio warns against being “house rich and pocket poor,” reminding viewers that good decision-making today leads to financial freedom down the line.

Troy Millings delivers a powerful message to anyone grinding a 9-to-5: “You’re not going to be able to work your way to wealth.” With AI threatening jobs and the employment landscape shifting rapidly, investing isn’t just smart—it’s essential for securing your future.

The hosts aren’t anti-real estate; they advocate making thoughtful, strategic moves whether you buy a home or invest in the market. If you’re wondering how to survive—and thrive—when AI is replacing jobs at a record pace, this discussion is for you. Find out why owning less can mean living more freely, and how to make every dollar count toward long-term wealth.

Whether you’re a young professional, entrepreneur, or seasoned investor, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and straight talk to help you navigate the changing financial world. Think for yourself and don’t get trapped by the so-called matrix!

*Key Topics Covered:*

• Opportunity cost: Stocks vs. real estate
• Why homeownership isn’t always the smartest wealth play
• The real costs hidden in buying property
• How to beat AI-driven job loss with investing
• Practical advice for financial freedom
• Breaking away from societal financial norms

*Tune in to hear:*

✔️ Real-life examples of smart investing

✔️ Honest discussion about home buying myths

✔️ Why investing in the market should come before a big mortgage

✔️ How the government is investing in tech companies, and what it means for you

If you’re ready to stop following the crowd and start building lasting wealth, you can’t miss this Market Mondays Medium clip!

*Hashtags:*

#MarketMondays #Investing #RealEstate #FinancialFreedom #WealthBuilding #StocksVsRealEstate #PersonalFinance #AIFuture #MoneyTalks #OpportunityCost

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 2 (00:02):
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Speaker 3 (01:51):
What the theory is that with the money that you
would have put down on the house, the money that
you would have put for maintenance on the house, the
money that you would have put for tag, that's going
to investments. That's not saying that just live an apartment,
rent an apartment, and then you have money and then
you just want to just you know, do whatever, go
to Vegas and just you know, put it on on

(02:13):
your your favorite money line for the rams. No, that's
not responsible. So it is very much so is a conversation.
It's actually even probably more relevant to people that's not
extremely rich, because the money means more. The money one
hundred thousand dollars an average person is going to mean
more than five million dollars.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
To bad money. Right, That's just a fact.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
So it's gonna so every every dollar that you make,
you got to make sure that you're making the right
decision because you can't afford to make the wrong decision.
Sometimes I'm like, you can afford to make the wrong decision,
be like, Yo, damn, I a million dollars whatever, I'm
gonna get that back. But no, you make the wrong
decision sometimes in life, ain't there is no coming back.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
It's no coming back, it's no coming back.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
And controversial take, but in terms of reward ratio and.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Back to the opportunity costs, you should not.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Be putting more into a mortgage for a property that
you don't fully own. That you're doing to the market
when people give pushback on it. I'm a prime example
of it. Regardless of whatever else, I stayed a two
bedroom condo six seven years. I know people that had
seven and eight thousand dollars mortgages and will put three
hundred dollars into the market and they always tell me, damn,

(03:28):
I should have did it your way. It does not
make sense to be house rich in pocket poor, makes
no sense at all. It looks glamorous, but when I
get to move it around and you see me, Troy Rashid,
we just look stressed through free and all that. That's
from good decision making. Even my friends Black, Yo, you

(03:49):
could have done yes. I could have went and bought
that shit, but its shot, Zanda. I love you dearly
go a bit so. It feels better to have as
college paid for at six years old and he's in now.
And if I want to take off three years of work,
I can do so because I put the money into
the market.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
To work for me.

Speaker 4 (04:08):
That's a fact. That's that money away. If my family
needs anything, it ain't a question. Go ahead, I don't
care what it is. My dad want to tear a
doctor for next investments with it attached to whatever you got,
you got. You pick your struggle, though, Do you have
to pick your You have to either sacrifice being wealthy

(04:30):
later or balling now. All the ballers are spending money,
they end up losing that shit. It's not worth it.
That's a guarantee.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
That's why I said you're not gonna be able to
and this is coming from a person that was nine
to five. You're not gonna be able to work your
way to wealth. It's just not it's just not doing
any possible. Don't matter how many jobs you got, You're
not gonna be able to work your way to wealth.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
You have to invest.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
It's I mean, that is the message that I'm sending
to every student, every young adult, every adult. Listen to
this man'speed about how how important investment is to now
and the future, especially in the in the terms of
AI and the job replacement and the efficiency that is
about to happen. Right There was just a study, your

(05:10):
Harvard study that said thirteen percent of college graduates can't
find a job because it's been replaced.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
That's twenty twenty five. That number is only going to increase.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
And you have to figure out alternative ways to make
money legally, and investing is at the paramount of that.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
So you have to have your money to make money.
I don't care how much money you have. It has
to make money. And and here's and this is it.

Speaker 3 (05:36):
Okay, let's let's let's let's coust some Internet nonsense reaction
videos investing in stocks is a better investment investing in real.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
Estate a thousand percent combination. If you can do both,
great office said it.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
And lived it.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
If you have a million dollars you invested in stocks,
ninety percent of the time, you're gonna you're gonna make
more money than if you if you invested it in
real estate.

Speaker 4 (06:06):
Especially if you listen to me, if I made you money,
please but he doesn't chet for what, Listen and think
about this. If you black and brown, listen, I've turned
turned to speakers up real lout. For the first time
in history. You have the greatest entrepreneurs on the face
of the earth who are white telling black and brown people, yo,
you gotta invest. Before they didn't even want to have

(06:28):
a seated at the table. Now it's like, no pull
up here it some have some water. Vlad Sam Auman,
fucking Jeff Bezis, everybody at Scale is on TV every
week saying if you don't invest, I don't know what
the economy's gonna look like. They're saying, AI right now
is responsible for thirteen percent of layoffs and could be

(06:49):
twenty six percent by twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
That's not the magic. Just told you got three years.
You got three We've got three years, bro.

Speaker 4 (06:57):
So if he tell you three that to adjust for
the media and the real seventeen months.

Speaker 1 (07:04):
And here's the reality.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
The things that we see and we have prev to
get information about we can't say at all. But like, yo,
I'm telling you, Like.

Speaker 4 (07:14):
The United States government bought a percentage into Intel and
said last week they may do with Palenteer.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Yeah, amongst other amongst other companies as well, bro. Like
and you only that's the crazy part, Like you are
the people that they talk about in that type of
cent Like, that's your money.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
So if they're doing it, hello and not hiding it.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
So just just be mindful. Like I said, investing in
real estate definitely can be helpful and beneficial. I personally
have invested in real estate. I believe in real estate.
I just think that a lot of times people make
bad decision when it comes to real estate. Buy homes
that you can afford, don't over extend yourself. Understand that
the mortgage benefits to bank more than anybody else. I

(07:59):
understand opportunity costs can't come back once it's going. And
you know, just think that's the point the matrix try
to make you not think. Everybody just want to do
the same thing. If you're a free thinker, then you're
you're you're labeled as somebody that's a misfit or a destructionist.
Just think you don't have to every every shoe doesn't
fit every single foot. Never feel that, never feel ashamed

(08:23):
because of society's standard is telling you to do something.
Your goal is to get to what your number is.
If your numbers a million, that's your number, five million,
ten However you do it, I don't care how you
do it. If you're living in a one bedroom apartment,
if you if you get to ten million, you want
hello Hello.

Speaker 4 (08:42):
And then for those of you who have money, the
battle between you to get a large house to celebrate
or a modest house which everyone allows you the most freedom,
where your money is not stressed too.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
There be your tager be organized at all times.

Speaker 5 (08:59):
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