Is Too Much of Our Net Worth in Our Home?

Summary

Ramsey Everyday Millionaires – Episode Summary

Episode: Is Too Much of Our Net Worth in Our Home?
Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: Dave Ramsey & Chris Hogan (Ramsey Network)
Main Theme:
This episode explores a common retirement dilemma: when your home makes up a significant portion of your net worth, is it better to sell and downsize sooner and invest the proceeds, or wait until later? The hosts take a listener call that brings real-life context to this financial decision, unpacking the math behind home equity, nest eggs, and safe retirement planning.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Listener Case Study: Dave from Charlotte, NC

• Background: Dave (the caller), age 62, and his wife are planning to retire in 3–5 years.
  • Home value: $650,000 (paid off)
  • Retirement savings: $650,000
  • Retirement income: Small pension and Social Security expected to total ~$7,000/month
  • Projected expenses: ~$7,000/month

Notable Quote

“I just feel with our total portfolio that we’re house heavy. We always had planned on downsizing once we retired, but I'm wondering if you think we should do that now and then invest that extra money.”
— Dave (00:23)

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2. Should You Downsize and Invest the Proceeds?

• Chris Hogan’s analysis:
  • Commended paying off the house.
  • Emphasized that a home, while an asset, doesn’t generate retirement income.
• Plan to sell now?
  • Selling now and buying a $400,000 home would free $200,000 to invest.
  • No urgency to act immediately—both house value and investments are appreciating.
  • Acting sooner provides more predictability in retirement planning.

Notable Quotes

“That would give me some, yeah, you know, some cushion. And so I would be doing that... use any profits to invest to then create a little mini nest egg on its own.”
— Chris Hogan (01:54)

“This is not...on fire. But the sooner you do it, the more, less variables you’ll have.”
— Chris Hogan (02:14)

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3. The Retirement Math

• Income analysis:
  • Social Security and pension (~$7,000/mo) should cover monthly needs ($7,000/mo).
  • Downsizing and investing $200,000 could grow the nest egg to ~$850,000 pre-retirement.
  • With continued growth, they could surpass $1 million in retirement savings at retirement age.
• Withdrawal strategy:
  • Drawing $18,000 annually (~1% per year) from the nest egg means investments can continue to grow.

Notable Quotes

“You just think every seven years it doubles if you don’t touch it...you’ll have upwards over a million for sure by the time you guys hit retirement age. And that in a paid off house...”
— Dave Ramsey (02:51)

“It’s going to grow in perpetuity...the balance will continue to grow.”
— Chris Hogan (03:22)

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4. Should You Stay or Go? Flexibility and Trade-offs

• Stay in the home: Feasible if they love it, but might mean minor sacrifices later.
• Downsizing provides more financial cushion and reduces uncertainty.

Notable Quotes

“If you love the house, you could probably stay in it and still make this work. There just might be a few sacrifices down the line, but I think you guys will figure that out.”
— Chris Hogan (03:34)

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5. Millionaire Habits Reinforced

• Paid-off home and disciplined saving: Both hosts praise these foundational steps, reinforcing the Ramsey baby steps philosophy.

Notable Quotes

“Right there. Baby steps. Millionaires, you know, they did it.”
— Dave Ramsey (03:44)

“You can retire with a paid for house and some money in the bank.”
— Chris Hogan (03:52)

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Memorable Moments & Closing Thoughts

• Dave Ramsey and Chris Hogan agree this situation is a “win” either way—downsizing adds flexibility but is not required.
• They stress the sense of security that comes from low expenses, a paid-off house, and a healthy nest egg.
• Listeners are encouraged to seriously consider the liquidity of their assets and to plan with realistic income and spending projections.

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Important Timestamps

• 00:21: Introduction of listener and core question
• 01:18: Retirement income sources clarified
• 01:54: The downsizing and investing scenario
• 02:35: Retirement figures—income and expenses
• 02:51: Dave Ramsey runs future value and growth math
• 03:34: Discussion of lifestyle flexibility
• 03:44: Hosts wrap up with praise for baby steps and millionaire principles

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Summary Judgment:
The episode delivers concrete financial wisdom for those “house-heavy” in their net worth, providing both reassurance and practical action steps. The tone remains encouraging, practical, and rooted in the Ramsey method: live below your means, avoid debt, and let your investments—not your house—fund retirement.

Transcript

[Dave]

Foreign.

[Chris Hogan]

This episode is brought to you by SmartVestor. Connect with an investing pro near you at RamseySolutions.com SmartVestor all right, let's head

[Dave Ramsey]

to Dave in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hi, Dave. Welcome to the show.

[Dave]

Hi. Thanks for taking my call.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yes, absolutely. How can we help today?

[Dave]

So my wife and I are planning on to retiring between three and five years. And I just feel with our total portfolio that we're house heavy. We always had planned on downsizing once we retired, but I'm wondering if you think we should do that now and then invest that extra money.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. Yeah. How much, how much is the house worth?

[Dave]

650.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. And how much mortgage you have left on it?

[Dave]

It's paid off.

[Dave Ramsey]

It's paid off. Okay. And how much do you guys have in retirement?

[Dave]

About 650 right now.

[Dave Ramsey]

650. Okay. And how old will you guys be in five years?

[Dave]

I will be 67, she'll be 65.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay.

[Chris Hogan]

What's your game plan currently to retire? Because the house obviously is not going to produce income in retirement. It's great to have it paid off and I'm proud of you guys for doing that. But what's your current game plan? Regardless of what happens with the house,

[Dave]

where we're going to get our funds from? Yeah, well, from the 650, which will grow, plus I have a small pension and then our Social Security.

[Chris Hogan]

Okay, so between pension, Social Security, and then on top of that, you'll dip. Whatever else you need, you can dip into that retirement nest egg.

[Dave]

Right.

[Chris Hogan]

Okay. And you're saying, do you have too much tied up in the house? Are you guys wanting to downsize anyways?

[Dave]

Yeah, we, we always planned on downsizing. And then maybe, you know, we could clear 600 on this. And I know I can find something for 400. So that gives us 200,000 to throw in there.

[Chris Hogan]

That would, that would give me some, yeah, you know, some cushion. And so I would be doing that. If you're going, hey, I don't know that we can make it for the rest of our life with this nest egg plus the pension and Social Security. I think it would be wise to sell, use any profits to invest to then create a little mini nest egg on its own.

[Dave]

Do it now versus wait until we retire.

[Chris Hogan]

I mean, you can wait. You'll, you know, either way, the house is appreciating. Right. As time goes on, your. Your nest eggs appreciating. And so it's okay to wait. This is not, I wouldn't say this is on fire. But the sooner you do it, the more, less variables you'll have. You'll kind of have more on paper to, to know when you can retire.

[Dave]

Sure. Okay, great. That makes sense.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. Dave, how much will you guys be getting in a month? With your pension and Social Security at

[Dave]

that point, 4, 5 to 62. About 7,000.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. And how much do you guys need to. Per month?

[Dave]

We figured 84, so that would be about that.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Well that's great. Yeah, I was gonna say, because you know, when you do, when you do just the quick math, let's say you added 200,000 to that, that would be $850,000. And you just think every seven years it doubles if you don't touch it. Which you guys will be retiring in five years, so it's a little less than that. But I mean, you'll have upwards over a million for sure by the time you guys hit retirement age. And that in a paid off house,

[Chris Hogan]

if you're taking out, you know, your 18 grand a year to float the difference, you're talking 1%.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yep.

[Chris Hogan]

Of your nest egg. And so it's going to grow in perpetuity, you know, the balance will continue to grow.

[Dave Ramsey]

So you guys will be good.

[Chris Hogan]

I'm not concerned about that at all. At the current, with your current plan.

[Dave]

Right.

[Chris Hogan]

And if you love the house, you could probably stay in it and still make this work. There just might be a few sacrifices down the line, but I think you guys will figure that out. The pension and Social Security, that's awesome.

[Dave Ramsey]

For sure. Absolutely. Thanks Dave, for the call and well done. Well done. I mean, yeah, right there. Baby steps. Millionaires, you know, they did it.

[Chris Hogan]

You can retire.

[Dave Ramsey]

It's awesome.

[Chris Hogan]

With a paid for house and some money in the bank.

[Dave Ramsey]

So great.