In years past houses actually went up in value. that is not as true now as it was then. In todays ecomony, houses usually either bareley hold their value, or in most cases lose value. So that argument is not as good as it once was.
Another poster mentioned health insurance. Health insurance can be purchased, weather or not, you live in a stick house.
As to cost. Many, many familes are now living in RVs because of the lower cost of staying in CGs, after having lost their homes due to the poor ecomony.