Young Americans are increasingly priced out of buying homes. Along with their high levels of student debt, low levels of family formation, and lack of housing supply, a big part of what may be holding them back is a Federal Reserve monetary policy that regularly seeks to boost asset prices by holding down interest rates. Reade Pickert reports for Bloomberg:
Faced with higher property prices and piles of student debt, Americans are getting older and older before they buy a home.
The median age of first-time home buyers has increased to 33, the oldest in records dating back to 1981, according to a National Association of Realtors report released Friday. The median age of all buyers also hit a fresh record, 47, increasing for a third straight year — and well above the median age of 31 in 1981.
While the median age of first-time home buyers only rose by one year, the increase reflects a variety of factors facing Americans searching for a home.
A nationwide shortage of affordable housing, coupled with lower mortgage rates, has stoked prices in cities from the coasts to the heartland. At the same time, student loans and other debts make it harder for Americans to save tens of thousands of dollars for a down payment, while tight lending standards can make getting a bank loan difficult for borrowers with less-than-stellar credit scores.
“Housing affordability is so difficult today, especially when coupled with rising rents and student loan debt, that they’re finding different ways to enter home ownership,” said Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at the Realtors group in Washington.
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