The American Dream

The "American Dream" is an idea that has always been different throughouttime. It changes in diverse forms and in the end involves success. The "American Dream" was a phrase used by the American people and peoplewanting to become American. It was always the idea that you can become a success. This is true in a partial way, but the true "American Dream" is that with somework and determination anyone can build themselves up in the economic classsystem.

The housing crisis of the late 2000s rocked the economy and changed the landscape of the real estate business for years to come. Decades of people purchasing houses unfordable houses and properties with lenient loans policies led to a collective housing bubble. When the banking system faltered and the economy wilted, interest rates were raised, mortgages increased, and people lost their jobs amidst the chaos. This all culminated in tens of thousands of American losing their houses to foreclosures and short sales, as they could no longer afford the mortgage payments on their homes. The United States entered a recession and homeownership no longer appeared to be a feasible goal as many questioned whether the country could continue to support a middle-class. Former home owners became renters and in some cases homeless as the American Dream was delayed with no foreseeable return. While the future of the economy looked bleak, conditions gradually improved. American citizens regained their jobs, the United States government bailed out the banking industry, and regulations were put in place to deter such events as the mortgage crash from ever taking place again. The path to homeowner ship has been forever altered, as loans in general are now more difficult to acquire and can be accompanied by a substantial down payment.

In previous years homeownership is was what people in the United States showed pride in, up until recent years after the fall in the market economy. The current homeownership in the United States have declined significantly since the years have passed and is now the lowest it has been in decades. Even though the housing market has been improving over the years in the United States, and the increasing homeownership rate is a worthwhile policy goal for America, home ownership still continue to decline.

Housing and home ownership in the United States have continued to increase among different races even though it was hit by the great recession period. The wealth of white households was 13 times the median wealth of black households in 2013. This is an increase when compared to

The desire for home ownership is something embedded in our DNA. Claiming property and owning a house is a critical part of the “American Dream.” Home ownership represents more than just a place to rest your head at night. Your home is the environment that serves as a setting for your journey through life. It’s the place of your children’s first steps, family birthdays, barbeques, amongst many other significant events. Your home is the backdrop that describes you and your family. Although many American’s were financially hurt by the trillions lost in the home equity market during the housing bubble, there is and will always be a desire to own a home. The most vital part is that American’s who lost their homes during the crash, learn from their past, so that they do not repeat a foreclosure.

In his essay “The Mansion: A Subprime Parable,” Michael Lewis uncovers the reality about the American real estate issue. A great number of Americans have obtained homes that they cannot afford. Banks have loaned out home loans that individuals cannot pay back. Some days it seems as if half of the nation is financially submerged. It is no doubt that certain home loan specialists, and numerous huge firms can be blamed for this crisis, yet they cannot be blamed for everything. Most of the blame, Lewis argues, has to be given to us, the citizens. The fact of the matter is that Americans are greedy, we desire luxurious things that we can show off to everyone around us to prove how well we are doing. This is true especially when it comes to housing. Numerous have been brainwashed into accepting that if a major house implies achievement, then the

In fact, “During the last ten years, the nation’s rate of homeownership has steadily fallen from nearly 70 percent down to just over 64 percent” (Romerdahl). Homeownership has been seemingly inseparable from the American Dream, yet statistics are now showing that less people are interested in owning a home. Until recently, government intervention has been raising the percentages of homeowners in the US, but percentages have been steadily falling even with lower interest rates and continued effort from the government. This evidences that not only is the American Dream changing, but it is not clearly defined in the first

For decades Americans couldn’t help but rejoice when they were able to own their very own home. The image of holding the keys and to quickly step foot into their home provided Americans with visons of prosperity. Many Americans whether poor, middle-class, or wealthy could now dream of endless possibilities when owning their very own home, as well as embracing a sense of accomplishment. These accomplishments or feelings were great at first; however, the realty for some Americans was that behind the glitz and glamor was a ticking time bomb. Now imagine the United States of America flourishing in the real estate sector and the US economy from Wall Street to individuals benefiting from the booming housing market. However, while all this was

Owning that little home on the corner with the white picket fence and big oak tree in the front yard has always been the American dream, but for some unfortunate home owners hit by the recession and housing crisis several years ago, it now seemed more like a nightmare. Imagine, after years of hard work, finally having your very own home only to have it ripped out from under you through foreclosure or short sale. This very scenario happened to countless thousands in towns across the country.

FDR’s affordable housing initiative was responsible for the rapid expansion of home ownership throughout the United States (Allen and Barth, 2012). This was accomplished in part through the creation of The Federal National Mortgage Association, which provided affordable low down payment mortgages extended over a 30-year period of time. Over the past several decades the United States economic policy has been to encourage home ownership (Bluhm, Overbeck and Wagner, 2010).

Homeownership is a far in the future goal for many young American and many may never even reach it. The rising cost of living and education puts many into debt. And, the difficulty of finding a job before, during, or after college makes staying above that debt difficult. As a result, for those who want to have kids they could be putting themselves even further into financial distress. Overall, there are many factors that make obtaining a home difficult, so luck and/or hard work may not be enough to achieve the original 1950s American dream. In conclusion, the house in the American Dream seems to be fading

Owning a property has long been a gateway to the American dream. Individuals have possession of the house if they have enough money to afford the payment on a home, and be willing to purchase it. As the owners, they have the power to make decisions about the property. Other people who rent have limited control and have to depend on the ruling of the owners even though they pay the rent monthly. Advocates of house renting may claim that renting seems to be a better option than buying in the aspect of cost. However, they often overestimate the benefits of renting and lack consideration of the time factor. Instead, many people argue that buying a house is better than renting since it brings tremendous advantages to individuals and the community. In the United States, there are 56% of people own a house, and 25% of non-homeowners are looking to acquire their home in next 25 years, while only 11% of non-homeowners do not hope to own a home in the future (Newport, 2013, p.1). Therefore, purchasing a property is the desirable and the best option since it generates financial benefit, build self-confidence for owners, and profits the construction of the community harmony rather than renting a house.

Approximately five million homes have been foreclosed since 2007 which, along with an untold amount of short sales, have caused an estimated $1 trillion in lost wealth in the United States. This crisis affected our minority populations and their communities to a larger extent with estimations of 17-20 out of every 1000 minority homeowners suffering foreclosure versus only 10 out of every 1000 Caucasian homeowners. This was due to targeting by the subprime mortgage companies specifically targeting African-American, Hispanic and Asian buyers with risky mortgages even when they could have qualified for prime loans. Also affected were many who lost their homes due to income loss due to the Great Recession which had its beginning in the subprime mortgage crisis. Many of those that have lost their homes during this crisis are interested in being homeowners again and this essay will cover some possible ways for all of these boomerang buyers to enter into the housing market again.

Is it really a “dream” to own a home, if doing so means being saddled with debt and undermining one’s financial security? Perhaps, in light of the risks of homeownership, one might consider renting, instead. This point of view is articulated by one columnist, who writes, “more Americans are consciously choosing to rent over buy” (Sullivan). Even among households making over $95,000 per year, the homeownership rate “declined from 87.3% in 2000 to 80.6% in 2012” (Sullivan). This downward trend in homeownership among those who would most easily able to afford a home indicates that Americans do not perceive homeownership the same way that they did before 2008. Now that the ugly underbelly of the mortgage lending system has been exposed, the prospect of homeownership is no longer as attractive as it once was. This does not mean that homeownership is suddenly undesirable. Rather, individuals are beginning to reconsider whether or not homeownership is a financially sound decision. Having equity in property can prove to be financially beneficial, but not everyone pays off their loan and takes true ownership of their home. During the Recession of 2008, nearly seven million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure (Wheelock). Therefore, the current shift towards renting is both economic and cultural. Americans are no longer buying homes for two main reasons. Either they simply cannot afford

Establish Credibility: According to US News, the great American dream of owning a home appears poised for a comeback. Real estate company Trulia reports that in many parts of the country, rents are rising while housing prices are falling, making buying a home more affordable. Trulia found that in 98 out of 100 major metropolitan areas, including Detroit, Atlanta, and Cleveland, buying has become more affordable than renting.” I think the mortgage catastrophe of 2001 left prospective home buyers afraid of buying a house without being extremely certain that is the right decision.