This situation is untenable and flies in the face of The American Dream. Many are trying to help, but perhaps it’s a good idea to take a step back and understand why single family real estate matters as an asset class:
Quality of Life - Having rented and owned places, I will tell you that you look at the baseboards and kitchen cabinets differently when you own it. You just do…it’s human nature.
Wealth Creation - Home ownership allows folks to ride the appreciation up (over a long enough timeline) and enjoy those gains upon sale
Tax Incentives - Our Federal policy allows homeowners to reduce their tax liability primarily through the Mortgage Interest Deduction as well as some other programs
Family Life / Values - As the name suggests, it stands to reason that a single family home is purpose built for a family, mostly within neighborhoods
Real Estate Drives Estate Value - Being overly simplistic and generalistic, the primary driver / most of the estate value is due to the appreciated value of the owned real estate
Given these dynamics, it makes sense that many are exploring a variety of and the best ways to monetize single family homes. Commercial and industrial real estate has had fractional ownership for decades, and the smart money is looking for something new. Private Equity has been buying up large numbers of properties in the past 5-10 years. PropTech companies are testing various strategies to provide liquidity to families while they still maintain most / some / and even no home ownership into the future.
Curious, what are your thoughts on the matter? How can we best allow families to enjoy the benefits of single family home ownership without tying up the bulk of their net worth in illiquid equity? Answering this question well can help America and families move forward…