Compared to renting, owning your own home makes sense from a financial perspective in the larger cities in Finland if you don't have to move any more frequently than every 5-8 years. Owning a home in a small town let alone the countryside is a huge losing proposition. But being a homeowner where you live is no goldmine when it comes to the suburbs. Homes there simply do not appreciate all that much per year. That's a direct consequence of having an aging population.
Owning a home anywhere but the most desirable areas in the largest cities is no investment in Finland. It's more like consumption. You have to live somewhere and the most economically feasible option is to buy your own home excluding 90% of all the municipalities.
In the long term, radical advances in automation and robotics in construction could make building houses much cheaper.
Owning a home in a small town over time yes, but potentially, buying a house in a small town might be a good investment for the future, if it isn't too far away from a large town. I think there will be some interesting transport innovation coming.
The change in building practices will have a large effect too, as could immigration.
Self-driving cars capable of driving drunks home from the city in the weekend nights? There's still the time loss and cost, although it will be possible to make better use of the time when one does not have to drive.
!ENGAGE 20