Student Loan Debt undermining Millennial Homeownership

A new study is providing more evidence that student debt is disrupting the lifecycle of the housing market.  The survey, conducted jointly by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the non-profit American Student Assistance (ASA), found that an overwhelming majority of millennials with student debt currently do not own a home.  They blame this debt for what they typically believe will be a seven-year delay in homeownership.

And it isn’t just homeownership that is suffering. The survey also revealed that student debt is holding back millennials from financial decisions and personal milestones. These include adequately saving for retirement, changing careers, continuing their education, marrying and having children.

Despite being in their prime homebuying years, only 20 percent of the survey’s Millennial-aged respondents currently own a home. Those respondents are typically carrying a student debt load ($41,200) that surpasses their annual income ($38,800).  Slightly over half have a loan balance of over $40,000 and 79 percent borrowed money to finance their education at a four-year college.

-Jann Swanson from Mortgage News Daily September 20th,2017

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