
Q&A: Her Brother Owns 3 Houses — Is That Why We Have a 'Housing Shortage'?
From Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money by Paula Pant, Personal Finance Expert | Cumulus Podcast Network
July 21, 2026 · 1h 23m · Episode 734
About this episode
This episode discusses the U.S. housing shortage, mortgage strategies, and simplifying investment portfolios.
#734: Depending on which source you ask, the U.S. is short somewhere between 1.2 million and 10 million homes — and the reason for that wild range says as much about who's counting as it does about the shortage itself. 👉 Free cheat sheet: which investments belong in which account: https://affordanything.com/assetlocation This week, Paula and Joe tackle three listener questions: whether the housing shortage is real or a wealth-concentration problem, whether a 26-year-old should pay off his mortgage or keep investing toward financial independence, and how to simplify a portfolio spread across 13 funds. We discuss: Whether the housing shortage is real — or just wealthy people buying vacation homes Why entry-level starter homes are in shorter supply than luxury homes - A simple way to add housing supply in your area while increasing your own rental income How to simplify a $1.5 million portfolio spread across 13 funds without losing tax efficiency Which investments belong in a Roth account vs. a 401(k) vs. a taxable account Why taking a 30-year mortgage (and paying it off fast) can beat a 15-year mortgage How to decide whether to pay off a mortgage early or invest the difference…
People in this episode
Host: Paula Pant
Guest: Joe
Topics covered
- housing shortage
- wealth concentration
- mortgage strategies
- investment portfolio
- financial independence
Keywords
- housing shortage
- wealth concentration
- mortgage
- investment portfolio
- financial independence
- Roth account
- 401(k)
- tax efficiency
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cumulus Podcast Network
Places: U.S.
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