Your 300% return sadly doesn’t include the cost of renting.
If buying SPX would give me free housing I would be the first buyer, believe me.
But unless you are born very, very, privileged you need to buy an house or to pay a rental, unless you want to live with your parents, and your wife is happy to do so.
For me, as I repeat, it was a no-brainer.
If you want to live for the foreseeable future with your parents then obviously better to put money on some index rather than buying an house.
If you have a family I’m really not sure that it would be better even in Phoenix or in Castrovillari or wherever in the world you want.
The article does make the unstated assumption that you're able to 1) rent for cheaper than the cost of a mortgage + extras, and more importantly 2) invest the difference. If your individual circumstances don't allow that and you're able to afford the necessary downpayment, the calculation is pretty easy to make, yes.
