Don't Pay Off Your Mortgage
Check out the following comments for Bank of America's CEO regarding viewing your home as an asset.

BofA CEO: Owners shouldn't look at home as an asset
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Homeowners may need to look elsewhere for long-term investment returns as housing prices in some areas may not rebound long-term, Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said on Tuesday. Moynihan, CEO of the largest U.S. bank, said at a state attorneys general summit that low population growth in some regions of the country indicated that prices might not rise in the wake of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. "It's sobering to think, but some people shouldn't be thinking of (their home) as an asset," Moynihan said at the 2011 National Association of Attorneys General conference. "They should be thinking of it as a great place to live."

Like I've been saying for some time now, sinking money into a depreciating assets is financial suicide. For the last 50 years, "owning" has beat "renting." However, going forward, the reverse will be true.

So what do you do if you already own and your home is not paid off? Borrow all the equity out of your home as quickly as possible and invest in precious metals. With home values poised to plunge at least another 50%+, get that equity out now while you still can. Then invest it in something (gold) that has been appreciating at 18% a year for the last 10 years, and will likely do as well or better for the next 10+ years.

Then, once your stash of gold is equal in value to your mortgage balance, simply pay off the home if you so choose. My guess, however, is that you won't do it. You will hand the keys to your current home over to the bank and then go and rent twice the home you have now for half the price, keeping your little stash of metals in the process.

THAT'S called "having your cake and eating it too!"