Barry Ritholtz, Columnist

Mansions Aren't Such Great Investments

Beware of claims that real estate, much less luxury housing, is a great investment. Stocks are almost always better.

December 2, 2016 at 7:07 PM UTC

Barry Ritholtz is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is chairman and chief investment officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and was previously chief market strategist at Maxim Group. He is the author of “Bailout Nation.”

Don't buy it.
Photographer: Mel Melcon/los angeles time/getty images

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I almost let an article about how great luxury real estate has performed sneak by without comment until I saw a dubious comparison to the stock market. Here's what caught my eye:

This makes for a good teachable moment about how to analyze investments, in much the same way as the presidential election or March Madness or the saving habits of a janitor. I say this while reminding you that I am not a housing basher, unlike some. I have been positive on residential real estate for a long while.