Home-ownership has always been an ideal in this country. Historically, it has never been universally “easy” to attain, no matter the family size or location. However, it has become quite clear that it is a goal most of us take for granted.
How can that be? “Taken for granted” might be an overstatement, but at the very least, the subject is usually not at the forefront of young professionals’ minds.
A lot has changed in this “Millennial” Generation. Student loan debt, both from college tuition and related expenses, has increased exponentially, while the job market continues to stay unfriendly to newly grads.
“Home-ownership rates have been falling since 2005 and are now at a 26-year low of 64%. And millennials are especially feeling the pinch, with the rate down 7.3% in the last decade for people aged 18 to 34,” said University of Texas at Austin Professor of Law Mechele Dickerson.
Her column, which is named for a Freshman seminar she co-teaches, is the first in a series on consumer debt entitled “Debt: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” To read the full article, click here.