[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f2j0xytyg77kyq":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":39,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":43},{"item":4,"previous":27,"next":33},{"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},420,"homeownership-is-still-a-huge-part-of-the-american-dream","Homeownership is Still a Huge Part of the \"American Dream\"","There 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 \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.\r\n\r\n","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Fsimplifyingmedia\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F10\u002F01162020\u002FAmerican-Dream1.jpg","There 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 \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.\r\n\r\n\u003C!--more-->\r\n\r\nAccording 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: \u003Cem>forced savings\u003C\u002Fem>. 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 \u003Cem>(a form of savings)\u003C\u002Fem>:\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=\"Average 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-STM.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","2015-11-02T10:00:31Z","2015-11-01T15:42:21Z",{"id":28,"slug":29,"title":30,"featuredImage":31,"publishedAt":32,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},419,"the-difference-an-hour-can-make-infographic","The Difference An Hour Can Make [INFOGRAPHIC]","https:\u002F\u002F\u002F","2015-10-30T10:00:00Z",{"id":34,"slug":35,"title":36,"featuredImage":37,"publishedAt":38,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},421,"baby-boomers-finding-freedom-in-retirement","Baby Boomers Finding Freedom In Retirement","https:\u002F\u002Fsimplifyingmedia\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F10\u002F01162022\u002FBaby-Boomers.jpg","2015-11-03T10:00:53Z",{"cover":40,"open":41,"shareSpread":42},"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",[44,48,49,53,57,61,65,66,70,74,78,82,86,90,94,98,102,106,110,114,118,122,126,130,134,138,142,146,150,154],{"id":45,"name":46,"slug":47},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":50,"name":51,"slug":52},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":54,"name":55,"slug":56},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":58,"name":59,"slug":60},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":62,"name":63,"slug":64},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":67,"name":68,"slug":69},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":71,"name":72,"slug":73},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":75,"name":76,"slug":77},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":79,"name":80,"slug":81},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":87,"name":88,"slug":89},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":91,"name":92,"slug":93},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":95,"name":96,"slug":97},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy",{"id":99,"name":100,"slug":101},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":103,"name":104,"slug":105},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":107,"name":108,"slug":109},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":111,"name":112,"slug":113},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":115,"name":116,"slug":117},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":119,"name":120,"slug":121},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":123,"name":124,"slug":125},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":127,"name":128,"slug":129},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips",{"id":131,"name":132,"slug":133},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":135,"name":136,"slug":137},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":139,"name":140,"slug":141},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":143,"name":144,"slug":145},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":147,"name":148,"slug":149},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":151,"name":152,"slug":153},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":155,"name":156,"slug":157},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]