Just words

Collins English Dictionary defines a starter home as a “small, new house which is cheap enough for people who are buying their first home to afford.” You won’t find the phrase too often outside of the real estate industry.

There isn’t much about the etymology of the phrase, but most likely, it’s a marketing ploy to get people to buy into the idea of purchasing another home in a few years.

Grind your gears

Mark Greutman, husband to Lauren Greutman, believes that the term “starter home” should bother people. The phrase implies that you will upgrade later.

Your starter home isn’t good enough for the rest of your life. And not to get into how well Americans have it, what about people who will never be able to afford anything more? Is it an insult to them?

Do You Really Need Two Living Rooms?

Older generations bought one home and lived in it until they could no longer be independent. In today’s world, we buy a starter home, then upgrade to have more space, to live farther away from our neighbors, to have rooms that are only used once or twice a year, and to make sure you have a two or three car garage to hold your vehicles and more stuff, some of which isn’t taken out very often.

But consider this – You could pay off your starter home in 15 to 20 years, if you budget right.

You could be out from under a mortgage and have money to travel, send the kids to college or even retire early. When you think about what led to the financial crisis in 2008, isn’t it better to have a smaller house where you can make the payments than worry about losing your house?

Be Content Where You Are

Realtors are motivated to make sure that they have customers. If people buy one home with the intent to stay, will the market dry up? Probably not, because people move and a new generation will be ready to purchase homes for their own family.

Let’s think about that phrase, “starter home.” It fuels consumerism and discontentment. Don’t call cheaper houses starter homes, but just a home.

#StarterHome

Is the American dream of owning a home still alive and well in 2019? Well, yes and no. The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) latest Aspiring Home Buyers Profile survey revealed some surprising numbers.

NAR’s annual report uses information from its quarterly Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) surveys to take an in-depth look at the consumer preferences of Americans who don’t own a home, whether they pay rent or not. Those surveyed were asked to weigh in on everything from housing affordability to the American dream of homeownership to whether it’s a good time to purchase a home.

The 2019 Aspiring Home Buyers Profile found that while more than 90 percent of homeowners still believe that homeownership is part of the American dream, only about 75 percent of non-homeowners feel the same way. Why do nearly one-fourth of those non-homeowners think that way? The answer is simple: Affordability. Nearly half of non-homeowners in the third quarter of 2018 said the main reason they don’t currently own was they couldn’t afford it (up from 33 percent in Q2). Those blaming affordability for their non-homeownership dropped back to 43 percent in Q4.

The non-homeowners’ hesitation might be warranted. While no one can know exactly what will happen in the coming year, many forecasters predict home prices will rise again — at a minimum of 2 to 3 percent — in 2019.

Despite the financial obstacles ahead of them, a majority of non-homeowners remained optimistic last year. Millennials may not be buying diamonds or soap bars, and minimalism reigns supreme with the aging demographic, but homeownership remains part of the American dream, even if the dream is riddled with anxieties.

The number of them who still hoped to own a home in the future never dipped below 73 percent in 2018. Their main reasons they would buy? An improvement in their financial situation (28 to 31 percent) or a change in their living situation, e.g. starting a family or retiring (26 to 30 percent).

An interesting note: In the fourth quarter, the HOME survey added questions pertaining to friends and family moving in with the respondents in 2018. Nine percent of respondents reported an adult child moving in, with another 5 percent reporting another adult moving in during the past year. Nearly half of those respondents said it was planned to be a long-term or permanent move. However, the survey did not ask those respondents if affordability was a factor in this decision.

In 2015, the U.S. adult LGBTQ population had over $900 billion in combined buying power. Most financial experts believe that the figure is only increasing, making the LGBTQIA+ community an important aspect of the economy. The real estate industry should be paying attention.

Research shows same-sex couples face discrimination when getting a mortgage.

Although the LGBTQIA+ community has a huge impact on the economy, many still experience discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Movement Advancement Project reports that about 44% of the LGBT population lives in states that do not prohibit housing discrimination against the community.

Researchers from Iowa State University analyzed mortgage data to determine the impact of discrimination on the LGBT community. The study, published in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” found that LGBT mortgage applicants are 73% more likely to be denied than their heterosexual counterparts.

When same-sex couples are approved, the study found that their mortgage interest rates were a little higher, 0.02 to 0.2% higher. A small figure that can add thousands of dollars to the loan over its lifetime.

The study also found that same-sex borrowers are slightly less risky to lend to.

Mortgage applicants are not required to disclose sexual orientation. On the other hand, the Fair Housing and Equal Credit Opportunity does not specifically prohibit discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity (although members of the National Association of Realtors are barred from doing so).

The ISU study researched mortgage data from 1990 to 2015, before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in every state. It’s possible that lenders’ attitudes and algorithms are changing. More research is needed to make sure that same-sex couples have access to credit based strictly on their financial status. Credit agencies may need to investigate their own practices and policies to ensure that they aren’t discriminating.

Texas is an example of one of 26 states that have no explicit prohibitions for discrimination in state law for sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s estimated that about 4.1% of the adult population in Texas are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Some counties do have local ordinances prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in private housing, Austin included.

At AG, we believe that housing is a fundamental human right. We must work for change within the real estate industry to give everyone access to fair rates in lending.