B4 • Friday, May 12, 2023
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THE GARDEN ISLAND
Is Gen Z taking over the housing market? NEWSWIRE
3. Watch the market. There is rarely a “perfect” time to buy, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hedge your bets by waiting for the market to fluctuate. Both interest rates and real estate markets will ebb and flow over time, so keep your eye on how things are trending in your area. Gen Z saw that the time to buy was during the historically low-interest rates of 2020 and struck while the iron was hot. Consequently, now interest rates are much higher to help curb inflation, and most real estate markets in the U.S. are highly competitive, making it the wrong time to buy. Sit patiently and wait for the tide to change.
NEW YORK — Credello, a financial tech company that offers a personal finance tool that simplifies financial decisions, said that a 2022 report by Redfin found that 30 percent of 25-year-olds were homeowners, a percentage higher than both millennials and Gen X-ers. How has Gen Z passed its predecessors with homeownership when they’re earning less and dealing with the same competitive housing market? How Gen Z is outpacing other generations in homeownership 1. They entered a better job market than Gen Y. Millennials have the unfortunate fact that most of them entered their professional lives during the Great Recession, making it more difficult for them to start saving for a house in their 20s, a common investing practice. Gen Z, however, came into a more bustling labor market post-COVID. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that over 24 million jobs were added to the U.S. economy since April 2020, a rate higher than prepandemic levels; 2. They capitalized on historically low mortgage interest rates. Before the recession, rates were at all-time highs. As a result, many millennials were unable to qualify for mortgages because of how high the rates were. Gen Z, however, benefited from historically low interest rates that occurred during the pandemic, making it nearly effortless to get a mortgage for a home; 3. They’ve been willing to move to “less desirable” areas. Thanks
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rate falls to 6.35%, lowest in 5 weeks Alex Vega and Melissa Winder ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — The average rate on a long-term U.S. home loan is down to the lowest level in five weeks, welcome news for house hunters facing a market constrained by persistently high prices and a near-historic low number of homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan inched down to 6.35 percent from 6.39 percent last week. The average rate a year ago was 5.30 percent. The average benchmark rate has now edged lower seven of the last nine weeks since reaching a high for this year of 6.73 percent in early March. “This week’s decrease continues a recent sideways trend in mortgage rates, which is a welcome departure from the record increases of last year,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While inflation remains elevated, its rate of growth has moderated and is expected to decelerate over the remainder of 2023. This should bode well for the trajectory of mortgage rates over the long-term.” High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for homebuyers on top of already high home prices. The elevated rates combined with a stubbornly low inventory of homes on the market have weighed on U.S. home sales this spring homebuying season. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell 22 percent in the 12 months ended in March, marking eight straight months of annual sales declines of 20 percent or more, according to the National Association of Realtors. The latest pullback in mortgage rates is perfect timing for Cheryl Cafarella, who recently began shopping for condos priced between $150,000 to $170,000 in Chicago. “I thought, before (rates) go any higher, I might as well jump in and try to find a place,” said Cafarella, 55.
The bottom line
MATT ROURKE / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE
New homes line a street in Eagleville, Pa., on April 28, 2023. to remote work, many Gen Z homebuyers are opting for metropolitan areas that have historically low costs of living, saving them money on their homes. This generation is more willing to be nomadic than Gen X and, to some extent, millennials. They have been able to capitalize on new initiatives that “less desirable” towns are offering digital nomads who move to their cities, including moving allowances, housing grants, and even cold, hard cash; 4. They’re more flexible with their housing. Since most Gen Z-ers are still in the beginning phases of building their families, they’re more willing to own homes
that are smaller or nontraditional. The tiny home movement that began as a way for millennials to own homes has branched out to Gen Z and taught them that a three-bedroom/two-bath house isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when you’re still young. Consequently, many are opting instead for the cheaper “starter” homes or even pre-fab or mobile homes since getting financing for a mobile home can sometimes be easier than traditional mortgages. What older generations can learn from Gen Z 1. Be flexible. Many of the things that have held back older generations, such as not being
willing to move to less desirable areas, can be overcome with a bit of creativity and flexibility. For example, many Gen Z-ers opt for “starter homes’’ or prefabricated housing that is easier and cheaper to get financing for than traditional mortgages; 2. Cut your spending. Many Gen Z-ers watched their sibling millennials struggle in harsh economic climates, leaving many in debt and struggling. Because of this, many entering the job market now are much more cautious with their spending habits and are instead opting to squirrel money away for future purchases, like homeownership, instead of impulse buys;
Looking at the data above, it’s clear that Gen Z is taking over the housing market. They’ve taken advantage of historically low mortgage rates, are more flexible with their housing needs, and are more cautious with their spending habits. As a result, they can get mortgages easier than previous generations and aren’t as affected by high interest rates. About Credello Credello is a financial tech company offering a personal finance tool that simplifies financial decisions through personalized, on-demand recommendations — so users can borrow, save, or invest with confidence. Credello believes that finding the right financial product should be as easy and interactive as online shopping, and the company is on a mission to make that possible. For more information, see credello.com.
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