December 25 2014
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 22) – As the wealthiest generation and the first to drive the housing market, baby boomers will continue to be a pillar of the housing market, according to a 2014 CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) survey of California baby boomers* (born between 1946 and 1964).
While nearly half (46 percent) of baby boomer renters who previously owned a home sold it primarily due to financial reasons, the vast majority still have a strong desire to purchase a home.
The survey found that 63 percent of boomer renters would be motivated to buy a home if they saw an improvement in their finances, affordable home prices, or other reasons. Moreover, 22 percent said they expect to buy a home in the next five years.
"Baby boomers are in their peak earning years and will continue to wield great influence on the housing market," said C.A.R. President Chris Kutzkey. "Even those who went through financial difficulties during the economic crisis recognize the benefits of homeownership and would rather buy another home than rent."
Baby boomer renters who previously owned a home are also in a better financial position to purchase a home, having a higher average annual household income ($78,570) than those boomers who have never owned a home ($39,825).
Nearly half (45 percent) of boomer renters have previously owned a home and are more likely to buy again than those who have not owned before by about a two-to-one margin (31 percent vs. 17 percent).
Additional findings from C.A.R.'s "2014 Baby Boomer Survey" include:
California Baby Boomer Survey Slides (click links to open):
*Approximately 8.6 million baby boomers currently reside in California. (U.S. Census Bureau)
C.A.R.'s "2014 California Baby Boomer Survey" was conducted in September 2014 in an effort to learn more about baby boomers' attitudes toward home buying and homeownership. The online survey polled 623 California residents age 50-68. For complete survey results, visit www.car.org/marketdata.
Leading the way...® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with 165,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.