Why America’s Housing Crisis Is Reshaping the Future — and Driving a Flight to Stability
In developed economies, people are reaching major life milestones later than the generation before them. Parenthood, marriage, and homeownership are all being pushed further down the road — not simply because of preference, but because of strong economic pressure.
A recent survey found that 90% of younger people want to own a home someday, yet 79% say they are already priced out. Even millennials, many of whom are now well into their 30s and 40s, have gotten squeezed: while 55% of them own a home today, it took them far longer to get there. Apartment List’s 2025 report shows that only 33% of millennials were homeowners at age 30, compared to 42% of Gen X and 48% of baby boomers.
One statistic captures how dramatically the landscape has shifted: according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average age of a first-time homebuyer hit 40 in 2025. But Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok highlighted an even more startling trend. Based on the same NAR data, he calculated that the median age of all U.S. homebuyers in 2025 is now 59. Just 15 years ago, it was 39. Between 1986 and 2007, the median age rose only five years. Since the financial crisis, it has exploded.
The struggle to buy a home doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s tied to rising rates, inflation, and the loss of purchasing power — factors that have pushed many families to seek stability in places outside the traditional housing ladder. With homeownership harder to achieve, physical assets like gold are the long-term hedges against inflation and currency erosion.
Even the broader benchmark for economic success has shifted. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon explained the new reality: “In the old days, you could be in 10th grade, go get a factory job in Detroit, and eventually you could afford a family, a home, a car, and that may not be true anymore.”
New data from Zillow adds another layer to the affordability story. More than half of all U.S. homes — 53% — have lost value over the past year, the highest share since the aftermath of the Great Recession. In cities like Denver, Austin, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Dallas, the declines have been nearly universal. The gap between wages and housing remains wide — and that uncertainty is exactly why many families have started parking part of their savings in physical gold.
While home prices swing with mortgage rates, policy shifts, and buyer sentiment, gold’s value tends to move on a different track altogether. For people who feel like the traditional wealth ladder has tilted out of reach, gold offers something the modern housing market rarely does anymore: stability.
In an environment where wages lag, debts rise, and major purchases drift further out of reach, many households are looking to hard assets — especially gold — for a sense of financial grounding. Gold’s historical stability makes it attractive when traditional paths to building wealth, like homeownership, feel out of reach for millions.
As homeownership drifts further out of reach, many households are rethinking what financial security looks like. For some, the answer has been shifting part of their savings into physical gold as a way to anchor their wealth in something real while the cost of living keeps rising. Gold has historically held its value through inflation, policy swings, and market stress, making it a practical hedge for families who feel locked out of traditional wealth-building paths.
Finding Stability When the System Feels Unstable
As the housing market remains unaffordable and financial pressures reshape the traditional “American Dream,” many families are reassessing where to store long-term value.
Reagan Gold Group helps people diversify their retirement savings with physical gold and silver — tangible assets that don’t depend on lending standards, interest rates, or policy swings. If you’re looking for stability in an uncertain economy, our team can help you understand your options and build a more resilient financial future.
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