I’m a firm believer in making it on your own, probably because of the generation and the family I grew up in. However, I do recognize that the housing market we’ve been experiencing for at least the past five years has made it very difficult for first-time buyers to get in the game. This is where that pot of gold comes in, held mostly by the baby boomer generation.
Buying a home has always been a milestone of financial independence, but unfortunately, young potential homeowners are caught up in the least affordable housing market in decades. This is the reason they’re looking toward their parents and grandparents to give them a boost into homeownership.
Nearly 40% of U.S. adults receive financial help from family members when purchasing their first home. This help takes the form of down payment funds as a gift, co-signing a mortgage to help buyers qualify, or taking out the mortgage on their behalf with a private arrangement to pay some or all of the monthly carrying charges. This does not include living support by providing rent-free living, so the buyer can save up enough for the down payment.
Also, generations are not created equal. For example, the baby boomer generation, ranging in age between 62 and 80, got a big boost coming on the coattails of a great economy right after World War II. There was a massive building boom and just about every young family was able to buy a home without assistance and move up the financial ladder.
The millennials, aged 30 to 45, started feeling the financial pinch, requiring roughly 56% of them getting financial help. And 80% of Gen X homebuyers aged 14 to 29 will be getting help from family, if they even try to buy.
These statistics are from Live Now (from Fox) and Lending Tree. Redfin found in a November 2025 survey that 26% of Americans aged 18 to 44 used family money to fund their down payment. As you can see, statistical outcomes depend on the question you ask, and who you ask. However, it’s pretty clear that young buyers need family help to get into a home today.
Going into business with your parents or in-laws is tricky. They want to help, but they also want a say in the end product – and depending on how much of a say, it could be a great partnership or a lifelong disaster.
Having your inheritance given to you when you really need it makes a lot of sense and it is a huge benefit to the younger generation. But family members are human and they have likely worked hard for what they have, making more sacrifices than the current generation has needed to do. This can be a difficult dynamic to navigate through and it requires respect on both sides.
Several times in the last few weeks, I received graduation pictures ranging from kindergarten to college. I looked at these young Americans and wondered what the future holds for them. Are they counting on a pot of gold, or will they go back to the work ethic of the 1950’s and start building their own pot of gold? Whatever they choose, I hope they don’t count themselves out when the road over the rainbow gets rough. Keep your eye on the pot of gold.
