The American Dream

The American dream is all about stability. Owning a home, having a well-paying job, a yearly vacation and children are stages of the American dream. Above all of them, owning a house is the most important because that means one is secure and stable. My auntie, Evelyn, had reached the biggest stage of the American dream: owning a house. After hearing the good news my family and I planned to visit her and see the new house, but it was too late before we got see her new house: the value of her house dramatically decrease and my auntie was forsaken. So, she decided to let the bank take her house instead of making the house payments. Just like my auntie, Evelyn, many American families were affected by the financial crisis in 2007-2008. Although the financial crisis was a horrific experience, there are some positive aspects.

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.

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

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.

Until every home loses value, buying a home will continue to be a good investment for those who can’t buy stocks or bonds. Purchasing my home was a huge milestone in my life as well as an investment I could make for my future. Adalberto Aguirre also believes that “For many Americans, homeownership is synonymous with success, independence, and the achievement of the American Dream.” Homeownership is seen as a pathway to aspects of the American dream; for instance, the ability to pay for a college education, providing start-up capital for a family business, or funding retirement plans (6). Owning a home, like earning a college education, is something I thought we are all supposed to want for ourselves, friends, and family. Helping others attain the American Dream certainly took a backseat to profits in the minds of many mortgage brokers and lenders during the 2000 housing boom.

Until every home loses value, buying a home will continue to be a prudent investment for those who can’t buy stocks or bonds. Purchasing my home was a major milestone in my life as well as an investment I could make for my future. Adalberto Aguirre believes that “For many Americans, homeownership is synonymous with success, independence, and the achievement of the American Dream.” Homeownership is seen as a pathway to aspects of the American dream; for instance, the ability to pay for a college education, providing start-up capital for a family business, or funding retirement plans (Aguirre 6). Owning a home, like earning a college education, is something I thought was supposed to be coveted for not only ourselves, but also for our friends and family. Helping others attain the American Dream certainly took a backseat to profits in the minds of countless mortgage brokers and lenders during the 2000 housing boom.

Homeownership in the U.S. hit 63.4 percent in the second quarter of 2015, the lowest rate since 1967. This has many people worried and multiple industries pitching theories, hoping to make sense of the decline. Does the blame lie with the stringent requirements following the housing market crash? Are people still weary of the financial responsibility in a still uncertain American economy? Or are some critics right, is homeownership culture changing, are Americans giving up on the America Dream?

We, more than any other age, want stability. No one wants to see that in us because it’s a tough fight to get it, but we want to self-manage and have financial certainty. Houses mean something entirely different to us than to others. We don’t see houses as necessities or obligations. We don’t take mortgages lightly or settle into some place we’re not happy with. The real estate market has some new customers who are taking their choices seriously. To us, that house has to be earned, and it’s also an investment. We don’t feel an obligation to settle into that house; we want it because of what it offers us. That house can grant both stability and financial security. Making an investment like that is something that overjoys a generation still shaken from the uncertainty of the market crash. When we make investments, we become adults. There is nothing scarier or more exhilarating than stepping away from an age where we can’t control the world around us into being at the wheel. The housing market may not have the same customers as it once did, but these customers are ones who aren’t taking any decisions lightly. Stepping from dorm to apartment to renting and, finally, to owning a home is a terrifying journey. Nobody should take it lightly, but we should take it. We’re ready to take on mortgages and handle the economy in a new

A core tenet of the American dream is home ownership. At the turn of the century, young adults were buying homes. However, since the bursting of the housing bubble and the resulting mortgage banking crash, the rate of younger Americans purchasing a home has fallen sharply. Many millenials – those born between 1981 and 1997 – want to own a home, but doing so is financially beyond their reach. Half of recent college graduates have no full-time job (Kadlec, 2014), and those that do may be described as underemployed. The increasing diversity of that demographic is positively correlated with the downward trend in personal economic health (Drew, 2015; Myers & Simmons, 2017). The worsening financial strain leads young adults to postpone marriage and family, which also reduces the need for them to own a home. In fairness, the problem faced by millenials is only a microcosm of that faced by the populace as a whole. Home ownership for the population as a whole is the lowest it has been in over 20 years (Fry & Brown, 2016).

The recession of 2007-2009 has been over for 8 years, but its impact will forever change the way that Millennials interact with their world. Millennials are now in between the ages of 19 and 36, and the question of future homeownership has been on the minds of this generation that is now fully comprised of young adults. Anytime this question comes up, they are haunted by the memories of parents and the parents of childhood friends who struggled to hold on to their properties during the dark time in America where so much loss of wealth and security took place. These memories discourage many members of the generation from purchasing homes because they bring about a sense of uncertainty for how the state of the economy could affect their ability to

During this era of economic crisis and downfall, many people are turning their backs from mortgage debt to a more affordable way of living. “Living Small” is becoming a large trend throughout the world, especially in the United States. In recent years, housing in America has been on a wild roller coaster ride that is on an increasingly unpredictable course. With the average American home almost quadrupling in size and a shift towards cheap disposable consumables, our home lives have evolved to be easy and without thought of the land around. The millennial generation have had a new form of the American Dream imposed on them, one that is laid out from start to end, with the

To be sure, the American Dream is alive and well. However, with Millennials comprising the largest demographic in the U.S. and not yet having embraced home ownership, only time will tell if housing will play as large a role as it did in years

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.