on the ladder

In possession of property and thereby involved in the property market. The hypothetical "property ladder" is a way of looking at the property market as something that one ascends throughout one's life by buying increasingly more valuable and expensive property. Primarily heard in UK. A: "I know we have to get on the ladder sooner or later, but the down payment is such a huge expense." B: "It really is, but we're also throwing our money away by renting."