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Major Market Trends and Demographic Changes

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Part of the book series: Metropolitan Planning + Design ((METRO))

Abstract

In recent years, home ownership has become a feature of the American Dream. This was not always the case. Historically, the American Dream was characterized as people being rewarded fairly for their effort and each new generation being better off than the prior one (Adams 1931). The dream has evolved to include home ownership for reasons that are not entirely clear (Rohe and Watson 2007). Fulfillment of that part of the dream has been largely achieved. Since the end of World War II, home ownership in the United States rose from 55 percent in 19501 to 69 percent in 2004.2 By 2030, however, it will may be less attainable or even desirable. Reasons for this include rising energy costs, falling incomes, lagging employment, shifting wealth to upper classes, and tighter mortgage underwriting requirements. Added to these reasons are market trends including key population and sweeping generational changes, the rise of a new housing market, and important nonresidential trends. These trends and changes will lead to a new America in 2030.

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© 2013 Arthur C. Nelson

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Nelson, A.C. (2013). Major Market Trends and Demographic Changes. In: Reshaping Metropolitan America. Metropolitan Planning + Design. Island Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-222-8_2

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