Is Property ownership by young people become hard?

Is Property ownership by young people become hard?

Wholesaler · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2014 · 137 posts · 40 votes

A report warning that young people are finding it harder to own a home than in the past. The report stated that 31 per cent of 25 to 29 year olds own their own home, compared to 63 per cent twenty five years ago. Also, the young are finding it increasingly difficult to secure a bank loan for home ownership, and are turning to their parents. 34% of first time buyers are now depending upon family loans, versus 20% seven years earlier. The study estimates this percentage to rise to 40% by 2029. The Commission's chairman sees this as an issue for the government to address. He feels that home ownership is a sign of upward mobility. The inability to own a home has negative impacts upon the social system. The government painted a less dire picture, noting a nine-year high in the total of buyers for the first time and starts in new home construction. The Commission has nevertheless urged the government to take action. The Commission recommended that the government build over three million new homes over the next ten years. The Commission argued that government could partially fund this effort by selling off some of its public property.

Key Takeaways:

  • Young people don't have access to property ownership and that impedes social mobility
  • Many people don't have enough resources and assets to put down for collateral or for a down payment
  • Action by the government is necessary in order to increase the supply of housing properties

"Home ownership is increasingly out of reach for young people without “the bank of Mum and Dad”, a study warns today – demanding “radical action” from the Government."

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Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2010 · 263 posts · 159 votes
9y

Morning all 

As an Irishman who lived through the Celtic Tiger and who has been a full time investor in Tampa Florida since 2009, I´ve seen my share of bubbles and crashes.

While real estate is a great business and great way to earn a living, America is a bit obsessed with home ownership (it´s certainly not the only country) but there is no need to be. Contrary to the argument in the report above, I don´t believe for a minute that a high percentage of owner occupiers means an economy is healthy and history has shown that there is little to gain (and a lot to lose) by making it too easy for people to buy their own home. Getting the government involved in building millions of houses and convincing more Americans to buy their own homes is not necessarily a good idea, because it often makes things worse (think of the millions of foreclosures from 2008-2010). To put it simply, home ownership isn´t for everyone.

Look at Germany. Economically, it is right up there with the most powerful countries in the world right? Well, if you are worried about homeownership in the US falling from 70% to 64%, consider that the homeownership rate in Germany has been steady at 52% and most Germans are perfectly happy with that. In Switzerland, which is one of the richest countries in the world, it is just 44%.

When I was a kid growing up in middle class Ireland, there was a bit of a stigma attached to renting. If the people down the street were renters, people just assumed it was because they were a bit poorer than the rest and that they didn´t have great jobs.

There has been a big shift in attitudes since then and not just among younger generations either. In any urban area across America, you can be a successful professional with a lovely family and a happy long term renter all at the same time. I know plenty of people with good jobs that are renters and I´m sure most of you do too. 

So we have a situation across the country where banks make it very hard to qualify for a loan, where house prices, rents and student debt are all increasing quite quickly and where wages are either steady or rising at a much slower rate. You don´t need a degree in Economics to figure out that this is a combination that will create a huge new generation of renters.

My takeaway from all this is that investors have a HUGE opportunity to be key suppliers of inventory as America continues its shift away from homeownership and towards renting. You can provide great rental properties to people who want a safe place to live. 

In exchange for doing that, the renters will pay back your mortgages, build equity in your homes and provide passive income streams to fund your lifestyles and retirements. 

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Frankfort, IL · Member since 2017 · 63 posts · 18 votes
    9y

    @William Hull That is an interesting study for sure..

    As a young person myself, I can shed some light and say that my fellow peers are all worried about loading themselves down with college debt, house debt, credit card debt, etc. This is magnified through the fact that college degrees do not pay as much as they used to, making college education too expensive for the price being paid. The younger generation, myself included is wondering how we would be able to pay for everything, with jobs not being there and offsetting the cost of college. Due to this, many find that it is easier to rent instead, due to the typically lower cost of renting compared to home ownership. 

    There's my $.02 about it coming from a young perspective..

  • Software Developer · Vidor, TX · Member since 2015 · 922 posts · 639 votes
    9y

    Government:  Yeah, it's not that dire dudes.  First timer buyers and new constructions are on the rise, and have been for years.

    Commission:  Young people are having to wait, or worse, borrow money from family!?  Build 3 million homes!

    Turns out, upward mobility is difficult and has to be earned.

  • Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    9y

    It's all relative. Today youth are taking on far more school debt than in the past and not reaping the rewards. In my day far less people went on to higher education opting to start working and earning instead. Interest rates were far higher also in my day.  

    The reason fewer young people are buying homes is not due to the pricing it is their own life decisions to go to higher education, stay mobile and choose not to be burdened with home ownership. Except in a few areas income to house pricing ratio is fairly consistent over the past 50 years.

    Youth are also wasting a large percentage of their saveable income on unnecessary toys. 

    House pricing is not the issue in most areas it is life style choices. Youth today also have overly high expectations for their first home. In my day we were happy purchasing a true starter home within a very reasonable price range. Not so much with todays youth, they want all the upgrades and bells and whistles.

  • Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2016 · 736 posts · 582 votes
    9y

    I don't see it.  Sure, there are some metropolitan areas where prices are higher....but the trend is younger folks want to live downtown, not in the suburbs.  I bought my primary residence in 1996...I paid $73,910 (bid up from the asking price).  I was making $26,000 a year at the time.

    I'm currently looking at prices in the Midwest - Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and I'm seeing absolute bargains for first time buyers. We live in a mobile society - I've worked with Oracle DBA's that live on farms 2 hours away from the city, I work with people that live thousands of miles away in other countries (Ireland, India, etc.).

    It's all about wanting to make it happen....having the "testicular fortitude" to take the steps to buy that house and live on your own independently.

    Then again, if I can make $80k per year as an Oracle DBA and still sponge off Mom and Dad, then why not?

  • Real Estate Investor · Encinitas, CA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    9y
    William Hull There's plenty of access to homeownership. It's a matter of making the choice. To use another high-dollar item: How many young people (let's just focus on potential homeowners) least a new BMW 3-Series vs. buying a 2006 Civic? By the way, that's not just a "young person" thing but for the sake of discussion we're leaving out the elderly (you know, guy's like me in their late 30s). You could buy if you were willing to drive 60 minutes to work in a suburb. But people make the tradeoff to rent in an urban area where they are "close to bars and restaurants". Not to mention, look what you see if you Google "average home size" and find of the plots over time. Sub-1,400 sq ft homes just aren't being built anymore. That's especially true in urban areas where labor is expensive, development costs are high, regulations are hurdles to jump, etc. Builders can't make it pencil-out to do urban-infill small homes. In short, it's all a matter of expectations, do you really NEED... - granite countertops? - 2 sinks in the master bath? - a 15 minute commute? - 2,000 sq ft? - an extra bedroom to use as an "office"? Stack any list of "needs" up (believe me, that list grows with age, kids, etc.) and homes become "unaffordable".
  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    9y

    @William Hull, What commission was this and can you provide cite?  The US census data seems to differ.  Overall home ownership rates in 2016 were 63% down from 65% five years previously.  Graphed information show that home ownership under the age of 35 has dropped from what looks like 37% to 35ish%.  

    https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/charts/fig...

    https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/charts/fig..

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  • Investor · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2017 · 791 posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    I think the larger shift is that the world is becoming smaller, and as such mobility of the person increases.  

    Today young people graduate, get their entry level job and gain experience in their field. Then they can hop on the computer and find a job all the way across the country for advancement. 25 years ago the ability to be mobile in that manner wasn't as much of a thought. So of course more will rent until they are more established in their careers and know where they will be longer term. 

    As tech increases and the world continues to become smaller, renting will continue to rise IMO. 

  • Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2010 · 263 posts · 159 votes
    9y

    Morning all 

    As an Irishman who lived through the Celtic Tiger and who has been a full time investor in Tampa Florida since 2009, I´ve seen my share of bubbles and crashes.

    While real estate is a great business and great way to earn a living, America is a bit obsessed with home ownership (it´s certainly not the only country) but there is no need to be. Contrary to the argument in the report above, I don´t believe for a minute that a high percentage of owner occupiers means an economy is healthy and history has shown that there is little to gain (and a lot to lose) by making it too easy for people to buy their own home. Getting the government involved in building millions of houses and convincing more Americans to buy their own homes is not necessarily a good idea, because it often makes things worse (think of the millions of foreclosures from 2008-2010). To put it simply, home ownership isn´t for everyone.

    Look at Germany. Economically, it is right up there with the most powerful countries in the world right? Well, if you are worried about homeownership in the US falling from 70% to 64%, consider that the homeownership rate in Germany has been steady at 52% and most Germans are perfectly happy with that. In Switzerland, which is one of the richest countries in the world, it is just 44%.

    When I was a kid growing up in middle class Ireland, there was a bit of a stigma attached to renting. If the people down the street were renters, people just assumed it was because they were a bit poorer than the rest and that they didn´t have great jobs.

    There has been a big shift in attitudes since then and not just among younger generations either. In any urban area across America, you can be a successful professional with a lovely family and a happy long term renter all at the same time. I know plenty of people with good jobs that are renters and I´m sure most of you do too. 

    So we have a situation across the country where banks make it very hard to qualify for a loan, where house prices, rents and student debt are all increasing quite quickly and where wages are either steady or rising at a much slower rate. You don´t need a degree in Economics to figure out that this is a combination that will create a huge new generation of renters.

    My takeaway from all this is that investors have a HUGE opportunity to be key suppliers of inventory as America continues its shift away from homeownership and towards renting. You can provide great rental properties to people who want a safe place to live. 

    In exchange for doing that, the renters will pay back your mortgages, build equity in your homes and provide passive income streams to fund your lifestyles and retirements. 

  • Real Estate Investor · Peabody, MA · Member since 2013 · 304 posts · 91 votes
    9y
    I think a big problem is people changing jobs and careers more rapidly than they used to
  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    9y

    @William Hull, I really am wanting to see the report you cited.  It's got  me very curious since it's conclusions and recommendations are very specific.  My own bias is that fiscal responsibility should preceed home ownership opportunties while recent history teaches us that home ownership does not begat fiscal responsibility to @Colin G Murphys point.  I would like to digest it to see the counter arguments for massive govt built and subsidized housing.  I'm not sure I like the concept of selling public land which belongs to all of us and converting that to private homes for folks who can't buy their own home now.  Can you provide the source?

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  • Real Estate Investor · Encinitas, CA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    9y
    William Hull Dave Foster I remember one those projects that took massive government action to build... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrini–Green_Homes 😬
  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    9y

    @Andrew Johnson, Yep and Yikes!

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