[bradleyjg]

It’s a good thing if you are a homeowner. But homeownership is further and further away from the have-nots. It’s getting to the point where generational wealth is needed to come up with a down payment in a lot of regions. And there’s no way to square the circle—we can’t have affordable and a great investment that goes up all the time.

[kcplate]

I just don’t see it. Right now we are in a moment of perhaps “discouraged” buyers, because interest rates are rising and home values have increased in some areas. But I have watched builders and agents in my area sell homes within a day of homes becoming available over the last few years. People are buying homes, and it’s not just the wealthy, it’s the middle class.

In the US FHA loans are available with relatively low 3.5% down payments even with mid-level credit. The problem driving affordability for some people is excessive debt to income ratios much more than housing prices.

If you can save $10k, and are not saddled with excessive debt you can afford homes in most places in the US.