The Bank of Mom and Dad: Living as Millennials

 

It’s no secret: the cost of living is expensive. Regardless of who we are and what we do, we live and breathe steep living costs day in and day out. It’s a fact of life: if we’re not saving our pennies, we’re spending them; if we’re not paying off one bill, we are another. It’s the never-ending cycle of our (financial) lives. Enter: mom and dad.

For the vast majority of us, mom and dad means home; and home is where the heart is, after all. It’s become a common trend among many baby boomers to take part in one of two things: either move back in with their parents to help save money, or assist in the renovations or expansions of their parent’s current home in order to accommodate their living requirements under the same roof. A circumstance such as the latter would be to avoid downsizing for mom and dad, and, of course, cut the costs of living for all parties involved. For some, this is simply how it’s always been; for others, it’s become a necessity. Today, we’re seeing a similar trend skyrocket among another popular generation: the millennials.

Leaning on the bank of mom and dad is something that isn’t quite out of the ordinary in this day and age as living costs are expensive and are only estimated to get higher. Therefore, young adults are moving out of their parent’s homes a lot later in life than perhaps they had originally mapped out for; and when they do, they’re receiving an increasingly large amount of financial support from their families so that they can. Ratehub.ca, a company who interviewed about 1000 people from across our country between September and November of 2016, conducted a survey to shed light on the approximate percentage of millennials who are are obtaining family financing in order to become a homeowner. The results? 35% of buyers received help from relatives while 38 per cent were able to put down 20 per cent or more on their homes in our province alone. Of course, with several regulatory changes and rising home prices in 2016, these results are only expected to increase and reach new records in 2017 – creating potential hurdles for those entering into the market for the first time.

Needless to say, adults – both young and old – often rely on mom and dad, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. “With a larger share of young adults staying home longer due to economic considerations, the need for space will remain important”, says the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. And sure, a loan arrangement with a family member is far better than one from a financial institution, but “a financial plan should [always] come before home ownership, and affordability should [always] fit into that plan”.