That's true but it far outweighs being a renter.

As an example, my mortgage is $1200/month, yet out of that, $500 is to PITI. So $700 goes to pay down, which is my money.

Essentially, I'm "renting" my house for $500 + maintenance. In 13 years I put new HVAC systems in ($9k) and insurance bought a new roof ($1k). A new water heater was $800. New flooring was $1000, and if I were to replace the carpet it would be another $3k when we move out. Paint was roughly $500. We tripled our insulation for $300. New appliances were $1,200.

So $17k in expenses over 13 years, or $110/month, and those weren't very cheap. Even if you average out the PITI costs, it would be in the $750 range, plus $110 expenses, so a total monthly cost to me of $860.

Average monthly appreciation was $640/month. I realize I don't "get" that money, all it does is mostly keep up with other homes, but something renters also wouldn't get.

Homeowners can save a ton doing work themselves as well, although many do not want to.