Nearly every American dreams of owning a home. The freedom of being able to remodel, redecorate or expand one’s living space; landscape one’s own yard; or, even to own as many pets as one would like is the epitome of the American dream. Buying a home can also contribute to long-term life goals. Building wealth via equity and having a stable environment to start a family are just two of them. Tax benefits, such as being able to deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes, c