Why do you need to buy houses when so many just live together until the next guy/gal comes along. Long term marriage and children with two parents are things of the past for the most part. The culture has changed.
Bingo.
If the housing market has slowed; it is a direct result of the social and economic choices people are making today.
It used to be that you got an education, got married, started a family and bought a home. The American Dream.
Well guess what? That dream is still attainable if you follow these directions.
But in our hook-up culture with divorce as common as dirt - we are naturally going to see the economic downsides - like lower rates of homeownership.