Do you really own anything? real estate vs. paper assets

In today’s world, “ownership” can feel like an illusion.

You might own stocks, ETFs, or crypto in a brokerage account, but what does that really mean? Those assets exist as entries in a database, managed by a custodian. You can buy, sell, or trade them, sure. But if that brokerage froze your account or the market halted trading, your control disappears in an instant. You don’t hold your ownership; you just have the right to access it.

Real estate isn’t perfect either. Even if you’ve paid off your property, you still owe property taxes, insurance, and HOA fees. Technically, the government and governing bodies always have a claim. So do you ever truly own it?

Maybe not in an absolute sense. But what makes real estate different is control.

The Power of Control

Real estate comes with what’s known as the “bundle of rights”, the five core elements of property ownership:

Possession – The right to own and occupy the property.

Control – The right to use it how you see fit (within legal limits).

Exclusion – The right to decide who can or can’t enter.

Enjoyment – The right to live in it, rent it, or simply appreciate it.

Disposition – The right to sell, transfer, or leverage it as you choose.

That’s real power.

Even with its costs and responsibilities, real estate gives you the freedom to create and control tangible value. You can rent it out for cash flow, renovate for appreciation, or build equity while living there. You can refinance it, sell it, or hold it for the next generation.

You can’t live in your brokerage account. You can’t remodel your stock portfolio. But you can walk through your property, improve it, and make it serve your goals.

Real Estate: Ownership You Can Feel

Even with taxes and fees, real estate offers something paper assets can’t — utility and control. You can use leverage creatively with FHA or VA loans, often with little to no money down. You can rent forever if you prefer flexibility. Or you can buy strategically, improve, and create generational wealth.

So while both real estate and stocks have their place in a balanced portfolio, only one gives you ownership that’s real — not just in name, but in experience.

You may never “fully” own anything in the absolute sense. But in real estate, you can touch it, control it, and live in it. That’s ownership you can feel — and that’s what makes it powerful.