[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f2bdd916dqphv2":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":37,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":41},{"item":4,"previous":27,"next":32},{"id":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"description":8,"excerpt":9,"contentType":10,"featuredImage":11,"bannerImage":9,"body":12,"agentsBottomLine":13,"bodyImage":14,"isInfographic":15,"categories":16,"isVideo":15,"videoThumbnail":9,"videoSource":9,"publishedAt":25,"updatedAt":26},252,"homeownership-is-the-american-dream-for-a-reason","Homeownership is the “American Dream” for a Reason","\r\n\r\nThere have been some who have voiced doubt as to whether or not the younger generations still consider buying a home as being part of the “American Dream”. A recent study by Merrill Lynch puts that doubt to rest. According to their research, ever...","","blog","https:\u002F\u002F\u002F","\u003Cimg class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30266\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F03\u002FAmerican-Dream.jpg\" alt=\"Homeownership is the “American Dream” for a Reason | Simplifying The Market\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" \u002F>\r\n\r\nThere have been some who have voiced doubt as to whether or not the younger generations still consider buying a home as being part of the “American Dream”. A recent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ml.com\u002Farticles\u002Fage-wave-survey.html\">study\u003C\u002Fa> by \u003Cem>Merrill Lynch\u003C\u002Fem> puts that doubt to rest. According to their research, every living generation still maintains that owning a home is in fact important. Here are the numbers:\r\n\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F03\u002FAmerican-Dream-STM.jpg\">\u003Cimg class=\"alignnone wp-image-30267\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F03\u002FAmerican-Dream-STM.jpg\" alt=\"American Dream STM\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\r\n\r\nThis should not surprise us as many studies have revealed the benefits enjoyed by the families who own their own home. One such \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fjchs.harvard.edu\u002Fsites\u002Fjchs.harvard.edu\u002Ffiles\u002Fw13-1_belsky_0.pdf\">study\u003C\u002Fa> was done by the \u003Cem>Joint Center of Housing Studies at Harvard University\u003C\u002Fem> that addressed a major financial benefit to owning your own home: forced savings. The report explains:\r\n\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cem>“Since many people have trouble saving and have to make a housing payment one way or the other, owning a home can overcome people’s tendency to defer savings to another day.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\r\nThe \u003Cem>Merrill Lynch\u003C\u002Fem> study proves this point with the following data on home equity (a form of savings):\r\n\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F03\u002FHome-Equity.jpg\">\u003Cimg class=\"alignnone wp-image-30268\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F03\u002FHome-Equity.jpg\" alt=\"Home Equity\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\r\n\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Bottom Line\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\r\nThere are many reasons that owning a home makes sense. The financial reasons are powerful. As one participant in the \u003Cem>Merrill Lynch\u003C\u002Fem> study put it:\r\n\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cem>“When I was younger, I always worried about that monthly mortgage payment. Now that I am retired, I have the peace of mind of knowing I own my home free and clear.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>","\r\nThere are many reasons that owning a home makes sense. The financial reasons are powerful. As one participant in the \u003Cem>Merrill Lynch\u003C\u002Fem> study put it:\r\n\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cem>“When I was younger, I always worried about that monthly mortgage payment. Now that I am retired, I have the peace of mind of knowing I own my home free and clear.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F03\u002FAmerican-Dream.jpg",false,[17,21],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers","2015-03-10T10:00:22Z","2015-10-29T17:01:39Z",{"id":28,"slug":29,"title":30,"featuredImage":11,"publishedAt":31,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},251,"is-the-housing-market-back-ask-lowes-home-depot","Is the Housing Market Back? Ask Lowes & Home Depot!","2015-03-09T10:00:08Z",{"id":33,"slug":34,"title":35,"featuredImage":11,"publishedAt":36,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},253,"fsbos-must-be-ready-to-negotiate-4","FSBO’s Must Be Ready to Negotiate","2015-03-11T10:00:09Z",{"cover":38,"open":39,"shareSpread":40},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",[42,46,47,51,55,59,63,64,68,72,76,80,84,88,92,96,100,104,108,112,116,120,124,128,132,136,140,144,148,152],{"id":43,"name":44,"slug":45},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":48,"name":49,"slug":50},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":52,"name":53,"slug":54},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":56,"name":57,"slug":58},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":60,"name":61,"slug":62},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":65,"name":66,"slug":67},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":69,"name":70,"slug":71},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":73,"name":74,"slug":75},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":77,"name":78,"slug":79},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":81,"name":82,"slug":83},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":85,"name":86,"slug":87},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":89,"name":90,"slug":91},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy",{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":101,"name":102,"slug":103},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":105,"name":106,"slug":107},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":109,"name":110,"slug":111},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":113,"name":114,"slug":115},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":117,"name":118,"slug":119},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":121,"name":122,"slug":123},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":125,"name":126,"slug":127},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips",{"id":129,"name":130,"slug":131},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":133,"name":134,"slug":135},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":137,"name":138,"slug":139},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":141,"name":142,"slug":143},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":145,"name":146,"slug":147},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":149,"name":150,"slug":151},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":153,"name":154,"slug":155},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]