A lot has been written about the effects of Baby Boomers retiring en masse over the next couple of decades – on employers, on markets, on healthcare, etc. Now, a new analysis from the Metropolitan Research Center suggests that aging Boomers selling off their homes will lead to the next big crisis in the housing market. Over the last few decades of the 20th Century, Boomers drove demand for single-family homes and accounted for most of that market. As they retire, they will begin to sell those homes but the market for them will be considerably smaller. First, the generation… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Home Ownership, WorkMillennials aren’t buying, at least not big ticket items, according to an Atlantic Monthly analysis that calls them the “The Cheapest Generation.” The number of twenty-somethings who buy cars is off nearly a third from its peak. Even the number of teenagers with a driver’s license is down nearly 30% in the last ten years. Home-buying numbers are similar. The number of people under 35 buying homes is down by 12%. Millennials are a generation short on money, with a heavy debt load and grim job prospects. But, in addition to not having the money for big-ticket items, Millennials don’t… Read More
Categories: Blog, Home OwnershipAt least 20% of Baby Boomers are helping their Millennial children or grandchildren realize the dream of homeownership, according to a Better Homes and Gardens survey. One in five Boomers surveyed had gifted, loaned, or co-signed in support of a Millennial’s purchase of a home. More than two-thirds expressed a desire to provide such support in the future to their children or grandchildren, many intending to do so on multiple occasions. This growing trend highlights a generational imbalance in wealth – Matures and Boomers have accumulated a lot of it whereas Millennials are finding it more difficult to get hold… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Home Ownership, Real Estate, Training IndustryBoomers can be described as two generations in one. Leading Edge Boomers (or Early Boomers, b.1946-1954) and Late Boomers (or “Generation Jones,” b.1955-64) often exhibit different traits and tendencies as consumers. Their current attitudes about real estate highlight the differences between older and younger Boomers perfectly. A recent Coldwell Banker survey shows Leading Edge Boomers to be a generation preparing for retirement – downsizing, consolidating, conserving – while Late Boomers are still ambitious and acquisitive. According to the survey, only 6 percent of agents surveyed say their older Boomer clients are looking to upgrade, while 31 report that younger Boomer… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Real Estate, Training IndustryMillennials are starting to feel like the dream of home ownership is just that – a dream. As the leading edge of the generation moves into its 30s, many of them are still finding the goal of owning a home elusive. According to the Federal Reserve, only 9% of 29-34 year olds got a mortgage between 2009 and 2011. That’s about half the rate of a decade ago for the same age group. According to CreditKarma.com, only 11% of twenty-somethings have a mortgage compared with figure of 30% for all consumers. Millennials are victims of a perfect storm that’s keeping… Read More
Categories: Home Ownership, Matures, Recession EconomyA new study by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission sees many Baby Boomers selling their homes as age, downsize, and retire. The study projects that Boomers will divest themselves of as many as 26 million housing units over the next 20 years. The problem is that the generation that should now be entering the market for homes, the Millennials, are not generally in a position to afford them. As we noted last week, a combination of high real estate values, lower real wages, tight credit, and high indebtedness is preventing many Millennials from realizing the dream of owning a… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Home Ownership, Real EstateMillennials have had less disposable income in their 20s and 30s than the Boomers and Xers before them did, according to an analysis by AdAge. According to figures derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, both Millennials and Xers have spent more on housing, health care, and education when between the ages of 25-34 than the Boomers did at the same age. In the case of Millennials, those higher costs combined with a recessionary economy have curtailed their ability to spend on everything else. In 2010 dollars, Millennials (during ages 25-34) have spent $21 billion more on rent than Boomers… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Generations, Recession Economy