It seems like the position in this article pops up frequently among the FIRE crowd... anyone know why this is? It does seem to square with the objective function of maximize financial outcome as much as possible (perhaps ignoring other goals).

Because it's an easy "hot take" to post for people hungry to change their lives?

Arguing the actual optimal approach would require crunching numbers, which would take time by authors and readers, ergo the surfeit of "Here's why you crunching the numbers doesn't matter" popular content.

Also, just to call out one of the many gaps in this particular post: buying a home is a double hedge against inflation.

Given that (1) your debt is denominated in buy-date currency, while your real property value will be inflation-adjusted & (2) in the US at least, buying a home is the easiest way to borrow to invest with, given low mortgage rates (compared to other loans) + <100% down + fixed-rate 30 year mortgages with refinance at buyer's discretion.