So, I still haven't made any extra mortgage payments, and instead have been putting my "surplus" money each week into a taxable brokerage account. My first one ever, opened this last December. And I feel like a super rich person saying that I have a taxable brokerage account. LOL
My fiancé and I are looking at some mountain properties, and even with mortgage rates now at an "astronomical" 5%, we're still planning on leaving as much as is feasible in a mortgage vs taking money out of his investments to pay it down. We will do so enough only to A) avoid PMI and B) make sure our monthly cash flow is OK, but otherwise, we'll leverage the debt to continue to invest.
I admit, it's a little scary for me, as I am very debt-adverse having been in a bad spot in my last marriage and immediately after my divorce due to excessive debt, but this forum helps me stay strong, knowing that we are actually safer with money "in the bank" vs paying extra on the mortgage.
I see there was another discussion here recently about it, and honestly, given that I don't have enough to actually have the mortgage paid off, I feel more secure with money in the bank and in investments I can pull from to make payments than being "cash poor" but with less on the mortgage, that I still have to pay every month. I can pull from savings to make payments if I lose my job, but if the savings are already in the house, I am SOL.