MortgageReal Estate

HereÕ the No.1 thing Americans sacrifice to pay for their home

For both renters and homeowners

Americans are making sacrifices to ensure they are able to stay in their homes despite whatever may change in their lives. And whether it’s a mortgage or rent, paying for their home is a top priority when it comes to bills, creating a domino effect in other parts of their lives.

According to an article in The Washington Post by Emily Badger, more than half of Americans — 53% — in the last three years have made some kind of sacrifice to cover housing costs, which cites a new study from the MacArthur Foundation.

In order to stay in their homes, Americans sometimes must forgo saving for retirement or eating healthy.

But what comes in as the top sacrifice American’s have to make to pay their rent or mortgage?

In the No. 1 spot, approximately 24% of people surveyed said they had to take on more work.

So, the one thing they sacrifice most is time for leisure. 

This was followed by “stop saving for retirement” at 19% and “amass credit card debt” at 17%.

For folks renting, the cost to stay in their home has only gone up. In fact, in 2015, 88% of property managers had raised their rent prices within the past 12 months. Renters should hopefully be getting some relief soon though as rents in the 25 largest rental markets have fallen slightly in the last year.

While it may be too late for those who have already scrapped by some months to afford their home, here’s a list of the 10 most affordable housing markets for low down payments and a list of top 10 affordable cities for Millennials to buy a home now. 

Most Popular Articles

3d rendering of a row of luxury townhouses along a street

Log In

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Please