There are no doubt millions of Americans who wish they could buy a home. But there may be a lot of current homeowners who now regret their decision.
A study by Lane Surety Bonds asked over 1,000 homeowners about their perspectives about homeownership and found many say they have to make sacrifices each month so they can pay their mortgage.
The survey found that:
Nearly one in three homeowners consider themselves “house poor”
One in eight homeowners pays over 50% of their income toward their mortgage
27% of homeowners live paycheck to paycheck, due to housing expenses, and 40% rely on side jobs to make ends meet
22% of homeowners have skipped paying other bills to cover home expenses, and more than one in eight (14%) have had to forgo medical care
46% of homeowners can't afford necessary home repairs and upgrades
Nearly one in five homeowners (18%) can't afford groceries after covering home expenses
Gen Z feels it the most
The burden of home ownership appears to fall heaviest on the youngest buyers. In a demographic breakdown, 43% of Gen Z homeowners think they are “house poor” while only 21% of baby boomers think they are in that category.
Personal finance experts suggest following some hard and fast rules to avoid being financially stressed by home ownership. One rule is to spend no more than 28% of your monthly income on housing costs – a formula that is very hard to meet these days.
Here’s an example: with a monthly income of $4,000, you multiply that number by .28. That gives you $1,120 for a mortgage rate. With today’s high home prices and relatively high interest rates, it might be very find a home with that kind of monthly payment, depending on where you live.
Putting more than 20% down can lower the monthly payment but many buyers struggle to meet that threshold. Back in June, when mortgage rates were nearly a point higher, researchers at real estate marketplace Zillow crunched some numbers that dramatically revealed just how big a burden it is.
To be able to afford the monthly payment on the median-priced home costing $360,000, a middle-class household would have to come up with a six-figure down payment - $127,750.