Where Are All the Millennials?

I’ve been both a Seller’s and Buyer’s agent for over 25 years…27 to be exact. There is a trend that I’ve been noticing for a while – that trend is fewer and fewer under 30 are getting into the real estate market.

So, I did a little research and came up with a few reasons why that might be:

• Millennials have staggering levels of student debt
• Millennials only see doom and despair associated with the housing market; they experienced the Great Recession firsthand and the housing meltdown
• Millennials value mobility, not looking for roots, in terms of homeownership
• Millennials’ vision of financial freedom is being debt-free, not leveraging
• Millennials are getting married and having children later…so, no need for the house
• Some just stay flexible to concentrate on careers

All is Not Lost

If you’re a millennial, here are a few ways to ease yourself into the real estate market:

• If you are currently living at home, take advantage of the time and save up for a small down payment. It doesn’t have to be large.
• Work with a loan agent who is familiar with low to no money down loans. Those loans do exist. You just have to look for them.
• Have a family member invest in your future and be a co-equity owner or have a down payment gifted.
• Homeowners can take advantage of tax breaks not available to renters.
• Generally, home values tend to increase in the long term, therefore building equity in later years.
• The options of housing stock are greater now than before: smaller homes, multi-family, condos, live/work options, etc.

 
There’s no doubt that home ownership is at an all-time low. As with most things in life, it’s cyclical. Can you continue to shell out your hard earned dollars for rent with nothing to show for it? Do what I did. I bought a home that had an option to rent out a portion. My motto has been, “I’d rather have someone else help me pay my mortgage!” Sounds good to me. What about you?

Interested in Owning a Home?

If you are interested in learning more about home ownership, contact me.

Ken Molina
808.344.6421
ken@hawaiilife.com