The most depressing statistic of this year:

Homebuyers over the age of 70 now outnumber buyers under 35.

The generation that is downsizing now has more purchasing power than the generation trying to start families. The math explains why.

In 2000, the median home cost 4.3x the median household income. Today, it costs 7x. The ladder has been pulled up.

And here is the part nobody wants to admit: Even if you do manage to scrape together a down payment in 2026, you are likely buying a liability, not an asset. When you adjust for inflation, taxes, and skyrocketing insurance, the real return on housing this year is projected to be negative.

We are effectively telling young people to bankrupt themselves for an asset that is mathematically losing value every single day.