Boomers Hoard Houses, Millennials Struggle to Buy,…


Millennials can’t afford homes, but somehow, their younger siblings, Gen Z, can. Even with over a decade more work experience than Gen Z, Millennials still feel priced out of the housing market. So how can the younger generation, only twenty-seven years at the oldest, already be on track to beat Millennials in the homebuying race, all while mortgage rates and prices are high, inventory is low, and inflation is eating away at Americans’ disposable income? We’ve got Redfin’s Chen Zhao back on the show to explain.

Today, we’re trying to answer one question: Who is buying all the houses? With younger generations struggling to buy and more Baby Boomers aging in place, real estate investors want to know their competition and who they may be selling their homes to. In this episode, Chen breaks down the data behind age trends in homebuying, plus shares why Millennials fell behind past generations.

But that’s not all. We’re getting into the changing landscape of the “buy vs. rent” debate and whether more renters now will mean fewer homebuyers in the future. Plus, with an aging Baby Boomer generation, will we finally see the Silver Tsunami” of housing inventory hit the market as boomers “age in place,” especially with their large share of family-sized houses? Could our housing supply problems reverse if a sizable amount of inventory hits the market? We’re answering it all coming up!

Dave:

This challenging and confusing housing market. Who is actually buying all the homes as a flipper or real estate investor? What buyers are you trying to attract? Are Gen Z and millennials priced out of the game? We’re going to explore some generational home buying patterns on today’s show.

Hey everyone, and welcome to On The Market. I’m your host, Dave Meyer, and on today’s episode, we’re bringing back a fan favorite guest. It’s Chen Zhao from the economics team at Redfin. And with her we’re going to discuss Gen Z and millennial home buying…