Grant Cardone Says 'Never Buy A House' — Since Taxes Are Forever, You're Just Partnering With The State So It’s Never Really Your Home

Ivy Grace

Sun, August 9, 2026 at 9:31 PM GMT+3 6 min read

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A mortgage eventually disappears. Property taxes don't. Real estate investor Grant Cardone says that's exactly why homeowners never truly own their homes.

"It is a terrible investment," Cardone said in a TikTok post in 2024. "Doesn't cash flow. You don't get big tax write-offs because of it. You have no leverage. You're living in it, you're paying for it. You never own it."

Even A Paid-Off Home Isn't Really Yours

Cardone said the math doesn't change once the mortgage is gone. "Even when the loan is paid, you don't own it," he said. "You still got to pay property taxes, still got to insure, still got to maintain it."

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He said homeowners let emotion cloud that math. "If you just break it down and don't become emotional — because people get emotional about their house. 'This is my house.' It ain't your house. You're a partner in this house with the state."

Cardone's advice to the average family — skip the purchase entirely. "Never buy a house. Rent where you live."

Put The Down Payment To Work Instead

Rather than sinking money into a home, Cardone said to redirect it toward assets that pay you back monthly. "Take all your money and invest in properties that cash flow," he said. "Could be retail, storage, apartment buildings like we invest in…could be land."

He was careful to draw a distinction — this isn't an anti-real estate stance, just an anti-homeownership one. "I'm not saying don't own real estate," he said. "I'm saying live in a house and pay rent. Take all the money that you would have spent on that house and invest in real estate that cash flows."

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Cardone's argument leans on a real distinction landlords and investors watch closely — a primary residence produces no income while it's lived in, while a rental or commercial property can generate monthly cash flow whether or not the owner ever sets foot in it.

For everyday investors who like Cardone's cash-flow logic but don't have the capital for an apartment complex, platforms like Arrived offer a smaller entry point.

Arrived lets people buy shares of individual rental homes for as little as $100, collecting a slice of the rental income and any appreciation without taking on a mortgage, a tenant or a maintenance bill themselves. It's not the same scale as the deals Cardone runs, but it applies the same basic idea — put money into real estate that pays you, instead of a house that just costs you.

Whether renting for life makes sense depends on individual circumstances. But his broader message isn't simply about renting versus buying. It's about putting money into assets that generate income rather than relying on a primary residence to build wealth.

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Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn't tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.

Arrived

Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors canbuy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.

Realberry

Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access.Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.

FarmTogether

Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors,FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.

Immersed

Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

Fundrise

Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio.Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.

Mode Mobile

Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte's fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.

EquityMultiple

For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.

Image: Shutterstock

This article Grant Cardone Says 'Never Buy A House' — Since Taxes Are Forever, You're Just Partnering With The State So It's Never Really Your Home originally appeared on Benzinga.com

Grant Cardone Says 'Never Buy A House' — Since Taxes Are Forever, You're Just Partnering With The State So It’s Never Really Your Home

Even A Paid-Off Home Isn't Really Yours

Put The Down Payment To Work Instead

Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

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