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Gen X is already looking for housing appropriate for aging in place

Didier Malagies • Apr 10, 2024


Baby boomers are exhibiting an overwhelming desire to age in place in their own homes, but their children — largely members of Generation X — are also making their desires felt by seeking out homes that can accommodate their needs as they get older, according to a recent report from the New York Times.


Citing 2021 data from the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies that showed 88% of adults 65 and older are aging in place, many members of the following generation — primarily born between the mid-1960s and early-1980s — are already taking proactive steps to by thinking “about where they will live in their 70s, 80s and even 90s,” the Times reported.


Homebuilders are observing a rise in demand for homes that can accommodate natural aging from Gen X buyers. David O’Reilly, CEO of Howard Hughes Holdings which constructs planned communities, describes the market being “at the cusp,” saying that the demand appears to be coinciding with more members of Gen X nearing a time where they will become “empty nesters.”


“That’s normally the tipping point,” O’Reilly told the Times.

Gen X buyers are also more likely to have more financial means and control over their potential options, and are keeping access to necessary later-life services in mind when choosing where to live as they get older, the story explained.


“In new developments, [Gen X buyers] are seeking access to health and wellness amenities, like hiking trails and tennis courts, as well as opting for home features like showers instead of bathtubs, for instance, and asking for the latest gadgets to help them as they age,” the reporting said.


A report released last week by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) said that Gen X homebuyers have a median income of $126,900, and are still years away from retirement. That additional working time will allow them to amass further wealth according to Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at NAR.


Members of Gen X are also benefiting from the pandemic and post-pandemic run-up in home prices, carrying significantly more home equity than their millennial counterparts and dwarfing millennial homeownership rates 72% to 55% as of 2023.


One analyst said that Gen X buyers are motivated to act now for aging-appropriate housing due to the state of the housing market.



“If they are shopping for homes, given the tightness of the market and remote work, I do believe you see more Gen X-ers seeing a home purchase as a home for the rest of their lives,” said Cristian deRitis, deputy chief economist at Moody’s Analytics to the Times.



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By Didier Malagies 29 Apr, 2024
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By Didier Malagies 22 Apr, 2024
Retirement at 65 has been a longstanding norm for U.S. workers, but older investors believe that not only is such an outcome unfeasible, but they’re likely to face more challenging retirements than their parents or grandparents. This is according to recently released survey results from Nationwide , with a respondent pool that included 518 financial advisers and professionals, as well as 2,346 investors ages 18 and older with investable assets of $10,000 or more. The survey follows other ongoing research into the baby boomer generation as it approaches “ Peak 65 .” The investors included a subset of 391 “pre-retirees“ between the ages of 55 and 65 who are not retired, along with subsets of 346 single women and 726 married women, Nationwide explained of its methodology. Seven in 10 of the pre-retiree investors said that the norm of retirement at age 65 “doesn’t apply to them,” while 67% of this cohort also believe that their own retirement challenges will outweigh those of preceding generations. Stress is changing the perceptions of retired life, especially for those who are closest to retirement, the results suggest. “Four in 10 (41%) pre-retirees said they would continue working in retirement to supplement their income out of necessity, and more than a quarter (27%) plan to live frugally to fund their retirement goals,” the results explained. “What’s more, pre-retirees say their plans to retire have changed over the last 12 months, with 22% expecting to retire later than planned.” Eric Henderson, president of Nationwide Annuity , said that previous generations who observed a “smooth transition” into retired life do not appear to be translating to the current generation making the same move. “Today’s investors are having a tougher time picturing that for themselves as they grapple with inflation and concerns about running out of money in retirement,” Henderson said in a statement. The result is that more pre-retirees are changing their spending habits and aiming to live more inexpensively. Forty-two percent of the surveyed pre-retiree cohort agreed with the idea that managing day-to-day expenses has grown more challenging due to rising costs of living, while 27% attributed inflation as the key reason they are saving less for retirement today. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said that inflation “poses the most immediate challenge to their retirement portfolio over the next 12 months,” while 41% said they were avoiding unnecessary expenses like vacations and leisure shopping. Confidence in the U.S. Social Security program has also fallen, the survey found. “Lack of confidence in the viability of Social Security upon retirement (38%) is a significant factor influencing pre-retirees to rethink or redefine their retirement planning strategies,” the results explained. “Over two-fifths (43%) are not counting on Social Security benefits as much as previously expected, and more than a quarter (27%) expect to receive less in benefits than previously anticipated.”  The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Nationwide in January 2024.
By Didier Malagies 22 Apr, 2024
Depending on where you live there is an opportunity in certain areas that you can get $2,500 towards the closing costs. You also get a lower rate and monthly PMI. Programs open up to you where there is down payment assistance and also the 1% down program available. I am seeing more and more first-time home buyers coming out now and this is information you need to know. Yes, home prices are higher and rates as well. But if you have these programs available and the payment is affordable then the probability of refinancing down the road is in your favor and if inflation continues to go up so will home prices. Maybe it is the right time to buy a home now? Tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329
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