help young adults make their first home purchases
unemployment, and heavy student debt are among the key factors that stand
in the way of many potential buyers in their 20s and 30s. But
first-time home buyers in this age group may be able to turn to effective
techniques that family members, friends, and even employers can use to bridge
the generational gap by offering a helping hand.
sense of the story
- ·
Americans who were 30
to 34 in 2012 had the lowest homeownership rate of any similarly aged group in
recent decades at 47.9 percent. - ·
In
comparison, Americans born between 1948 and 1957 had a 57.1 percent ownership rate
by the time they hit the 30-to-34 bracket. This is despite record low mortgage
rates and bargain-priced foreclosures and short sales. - ·
According
to one industry estimate, 27 percent of first-time buyers last year received gift
money from relatives to help defray the down payment and closing costs. - ·
With professional help, some family members are providing
either second mortgages or first mortgages, and properly structured, these
loans provide annual returns to family members well in excess of money-market
funds or bank deposits. - ·
Money
provided as a loan cannot be disguised as a loan. If the money is a gift, there
needs to be a formal letter making the purpose of the gift explicit and the
specific transaction for which it is to be used. Documentation is also needed
to attribute the source of the funds and the capacity of the gift giver to
provide the money.



