Pros And Cons Of The American Dream

Jim Cullen’s The American Dream talks a lot about upward mobility. Upward mobility is the cornerstone of the American Dream. Without upward mobility there is no American Dream. Throughout the whole book you can tell that he believes the American Dream is attainable. He also talks about equality. He talks about how equality was necessary for the American Dream because it allows Americans to have the same opportunities. Cullen also mentions owning a home. Owning a home plays a big part in the American Dream than you may think it does. When people think of the American Dream, people will always talk about owning a home.

            Most homes are structured to have multiple bedrooms and multiple baths. This is very fitting for families, but is unfit for young adults just getting out of college. Most millennials have followed the trend of attending college longer than the past generations have, and after they are done they make it a goal to find a career first before settling down with children. While they are busy doing that, they usually rent apartments because a house is too big for them to live in alone, or with a significant other. Until prepared to have children, most millennials chose the renting lifestyle so that they won’t be tied down to a place in case they want to make time for travel, or their career pushes them into another part of the country. Buying a house symbolizes settling down in an area and often means that the couple is prepared to have children. However it is not a priority until college is completed and a career is established, meaning purchasing a house doesn’t typically happen until people are in or close to their thirties.

The American Dream, an idea of what it truly means to be an American in some respects. For many, it is the idea of starting from nothing and making something to look back on in your later years and be proud of what you’ve done. For many in the generations before the millennial generation, the ideal was to graduate college, get married, get a house, and raise a family. For many millennials, this has changed with one key difference. That difference is the importance of having their own house. This was brought about by many factors including the economy, political ideology, and sustainability.

The increasing homeownership rate in the United States is a worthwhile policy goal. The housing economy creates jobs for American citizens as well as brings down the competitive qualities to purchasing a home allowing more middleclass citizens to spend money on houses. In doing so this drives the overall economy up in the United States.

America is seen as the land of opportunity in that there are endless possibilities for an individual. In this land of opportunity, Americans strive to obtain the ideal known as the American dream. The American Dream is seen as the accomplishment of an ambition achieved while challenged by adversity.1 Americans often associate this success with the ownership of a home. The home is not simply a place of basic protection; there is a much deeper connection to the individual. Ownership of a home grants freedom and security that establishes a sense permanency for the individual. In contrast, renting a living space possesses a semblance of instability and dependence.2 The desire to improve ones’ position in life inspires one to

In the early years of a mortgage, the majority of the monthly mortgage payment goes to paying the interest. Over time an increasing amount goes to reducing the principal. As the principal is reduced, the equity will increase on the owners home. Owners Gain tax advantages by deducting mortgage interest and property taxes from their federal income tax form. They should Stabilize their payments with a fixed interest rate on their home loan. They should Have a secure place for their family to live. A home provides a permanent place where a family can live and grow, and the owners can decorate or expand a house the way they would like to create their dream home. There is always a negative compared to a positive. A home could lose value. There is no guarantee that a home will increase in value. It could decrease in value especially in a rocky housing market. Another benefit renters have over homeowners is that they do not have to pay property taxes. This can be a

Despite this fact, home ownership in the economic and social landscape of today is a big responsibility. Economically, most millennial most likely cannot afford to own their own home. A mortgage is a much larger payment than rent for an apartment. Similarly, owning a home means paying for gas, electric, water and furniture to fill a house; this also includes any grounds upkeep depending on the home’s location and property taxes. Socially, Millennials seem to be straying away from owning a home because it

“When you rent, you write your monthly check and that money is gone forever. But when you own your home, you can deduct the cost of your mortgage loan interest from federal income taxes, and usually from your state taxes” (Home Buyers Guide, p4). Buying a home can be alarming, if you are not prepared, whether for the first time or even for the fifth time. If you take time before going into the process to gain the knowledge needed, one might see that

Acquiring a house is a noteworthy trial. Again and again, I think people race into home ownership in light of the fact that it's seen as a sign of adulthood and cash related commitment.

Homeownership is a double-edged sword. It is the “American Dream” to one day own a house. Compared to their predecessors, Millennials are seeing the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership at an earlier age.  These early generations believed owning a house was the cherry-on-top to being an all-around American and achieving the “American Dream”. As a cynical generation who grew up with information at our fingertips and the world falling around us, millennials see homeownership differently. “The cautious and conservative approach to home buying displayed by millennials is driven by the fact their outlook on life was shaped by a number of bad things when they were young—the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, the 2008 financial crisis, the housing bust with mass foreclosures and a weak recovery that has so far provided incomes below that of prior generations” (Stowe England, 36). We learned that the world was not fair and that it is time to redefine the “American Dream” to reflect our current economic society.

When someone makes the decision to buy or rent a home they must consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. In buying a home the primary advantage is that you actually own it. You can do whatever you want with it. Also, you are building equity as the years go by. “People today have problems saving for their future” (CNN Money, 2014). However, when they buy a home, the

Especially here in Alaska. Things are so expensive and unless you have a really good job you can’t pay everyday bills and save the amount needed. If millennials are saving it will be at a rate that will make them available to purchase when they’re about 30. According to a study I found 68 % of millennials said they have saved less than $1000.00 for a down payment (80 % of millennials say they want to buy a home, By: Ester Bloom). There are a lot of programs out there that can help people get familiar with the homebuying process and programs available for down payment assistance and other housing scholarships. I feel like not too many of millennials know about these, When I started to look for a home buying opportunity I had to find all this on my own.

Thesis: Home ownership provides greater potential gains than renting, while renting provides superior financial flexibility.

But are they missing out. What might they be losing in staying frugal and stress-free of the struggles of owning a house. The main point I believe they have excluded themselves from is the security that can be found in a house. If you do not own your own house what is to say that you're the living situation may change. What if the current landlord goes bankrupt or decides to sell your apartment to someone else. You could be evicted and in a tight situation to find a new place to live. Not to mention the credit scores for loans or other miscellaneous situations that are often improved by owning a house. Take animals for example there are plenty of places where pets are not allowed. But maybe to them the pros simply outweigh the cons.

Buying a house provides stability forever unless the owner decides to sell or to move into another home in which the owner gains equity for selling. This is still a huge benefit. Owning a home is a very huge security measure. When a person is an actual homeowner and not a renter he or she can control who actually enters his or her home (Map, 2011). It is easier to purchase home alarm systems and everything that goes on in a person’s home is controlled by the owner. As a homeowner the option of what is allowed and what goes on is controlled by the actual homeowner. If an issue comes up and the owner has to move somewhere else then this is a huge benefit. As a seller a person can earn so much money and it can build equity (Media, 2010). Usually homes sell for way more than the purchase prices, especially if the owner has customized the home, in which was discussed earlier (RP Reality, 2011). The selling price could be a huge benefit to any owner who is selling their home and moving. These benefits cannot be earned by an apartment renter.