Sure, but you likely don’t have the cash to put down on a house you like. This is a pretty normal scenario if we look at human history. As soon as we invented cities, land in and around cities was expensive. It could take a lifetime to save up enough to buy a house. Hence a mortgage - the bank (which is mostly just the savings of other people around you) gives you the money right now to buy a house. Then you get to live in the house while you “save up” for it.

Idk, I got mine at 2.85%. Seems like a pretty good deal to me. Less than the rate of inflation, so the bank is essentially paying me to own a house

Proof: people keep getting mortgages

Because for most people, most of the time, mortgages are a good deal