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submitted 4 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Americans are living through the toughest housing market in a generation and, for some young people, the quintessential dream of owning a home is slipping away.

Mortgage rates surged in recent years, hitting the highest levels in more than two decades last fall. While rates have come down slightly since then, home prices remain painfully elevated and a limited inventory of housing is still failing to keep up with demand. Such conditions mean that housing has become woefully unaffordable.

Falling mortgage rates in recent weeks have helped, but home prices could remain sticky, according to economists. It’s still a cruddy time to be hunting for a home, but it’s even worse for young, first-time buyers who need to save up for a down payment and build up their credit score during a time when Baby Boomers are refusing to part with their big houses.

The situation isn’t a whole lot better for renters, with rents barely coming down from record highs and half of tenants in that market saying they can’t even afford their payments.

The uneasiness over America’s affordability crisis is captured clearly in surveys and polls, but data that outlines the sentiment specifically among young people is limited.

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[-] Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com 102 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I did the math and it would take me roughly 90 years to pay off a 2 bedroom fixer-upper.

Surprise twist, said fixer-upper is the place I rent currently.

Double surprise twist, I pay more in rent then the mortgage for this place, but don't qualify to buy my own.

I'm stuck in the renters purgatory.

There are more twists still, but those are too personal.

[-] the_q@lemmy.world 45 points 4 months ago

You're paying for someone else's house.

[-] BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca 43 points 4 months ago

LaNdLoRdS pRoViDe A sErViCe ThOuGh!

[-] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 months ago

I love it whenever some bootlicker unironically uses this as a talking point. "Who else is gonna rent you an apartment if there was no landlords???" Like, that's kind of the whole point, chief lol.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

I'm not sure where you live and how it works, but around here, mortgages can be significantly cheaper than rent. By several hundred dollars. Admittedly, this is not a desirable place to live, but you're talking $1000/mo mortgage vs. $1300-1500/mo rent of a house the same size.

[-] zaphod@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 months ago

I did the math and it would take me roughly 90 years to pay off a 2 bedroom fixer-upper.

Where?

[-] Fal@yiffit.net -5 points 4 months ago

Explain how the rent is more than a mortgage if it would take you 90 years to pay it off

[-] Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'd still have to pay rent while saving for a down payment. That's an easy $2500-$3400 a month with other cost of living expenses, retirement/savings, all while trying to save up a $120,000 down payment. Small homes start around $1M here.

If you don't make 6-figures here, the city will drain your bank and spit you out.

this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
388 points (98.0% liked)

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