To understand housing demand, it helps to break it down generationally. For example, baby boomers – because they are older and more likely to be settled somewhere – are the least active in the market. Generation X, on the other hand, are in the prime of their professional life and, since they are making more money and have growing families, they account for a large share of buyers looking to upgrade from their first home into something more spacious. Finally, there are millennials. Born between 1982 and 2000, millennials are now at, or will soon reach, the age of the typical first-time home buyer. So, naturally, they should represent an increasing share of the demand for homes. But do they? Well, the short answer is yes. According to a new report from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, millennials are now the age group responsible for the most new mortgages. In fact, in 2018, millennials accounted for 45 percent of all new mortgages. By comparison, Generation X home buyers were responsible for 36 percent of new mortgages and baby boomers represented 17 percent of purchase loans. More here.
