How so?
It costs thousands to buy a house
It costs thousands to sell a house
It costs thousands to maintain a house (I once spent, over $10,000 in one month on repairs)
It costs thousands in property tax and insurance
You pay thousands in interest and maybe PMI.
If the asset doesn't appreciate faster than inflation, where's the wealth building coming from? Sure, I'm not paying rent, but, honestly, it ends up being mostly a wash once you factor in all the expenses I am paying.
I bought a house because I wanted to own a house, not because i thought it would build wealth.