> You've probably heard someone say something to the effect of "renting is just throwing your money away".

Then skip to the bottom:

> I bought my current home in 2011 for $420k, and the Zillow currently estimates its value at $757k. I've put a lot of money into it catching up on maintenance, repairs, and improvements, but the appreciation will definitely exceed whatever I've put into it when I decide to sell it.

There you go.

The only counterexample is one that's a truism: author bought at $321k and sold at $333 a few years later. Real estate is a long term investment, same as the funds you'd choose for a retirement account. In both cases if you're buying/selling short term you missed a very important implied premise in the conversation.