Single, but Laying Down Roots [Now, 21% of all home purchases are by single women buyers]

The NY Times - Business Section ^ | Jan 18, 2004 | ABBY ELLIN

[Tauzero]

"if you're a homeowner, no landlord is going to decide to suddenly jack up your rent or throw you out."

Hah! Mr. Homeowner, please meet Mr. Association President, Mr. Tax Assessor, Mr. Eminent Domain.

[waterstraat]

waterstraat Expect to see a sex role-reversal of the 1950's in the coming decades .

Perhaps, but not a complete reversal. I predict that, as often as not, men will manage to stay on top.

I predict other wise.

The Golden Rule says : " He/she who has the gold, makes the rules".

When women have more education, more management jobs, and better paying jobs, they will be head of the house(if they marry at all). I fully expect men of the future to be treated just as the women were in the 1950's - with little respect, and with men having lots of ridiculous frivilous meaningless rules particular to their sex.

[Tauzero]

" When women have more education, more management jobs, and better paying jobs, they will be head of the house"

Of a house perhaps, but not a home.

[summer]

parenting is a game best played by the young

young, starting out in one's career and often barely able to pay one's rent is sometimes not the time people want to also be raising kids.

[Tauzero]

ping

[summer]

Of a house perhaps, but not a home.

You really misssed the boat there. A home most certainly CAN be a home -- even when it's owned by a single woman, and she's the only one who resides there.

[Tauzero]

"young, starting out in one's career and often barely able to pay one's rent is sometimes not the time people want to also be raising kids"

It's the best time. Especially now that the tax code punishes parenting slightly less, although there's still a long ways to go.

Two kids now give a better tax advantage than a typical mortgage payment. The advantage from one almost equals it.

[summer]

When women have more education, more management jobs, and better paying jobs, they will be head of the house(if they marry at all).

Here's a thought that came to my mind when I read your post, and a fact mentioned in the article -- that 3/4 of the single women buying homes are childlesss.

I think the country will suffer in that the best educated women will not be the ones bearing children due to the reason we've discussed.

And, many women bearing children will continue to be low income women, who raise those kids in poverty, and without a male in the home. Not a good situation, but one that I do not see changing anytime soon.

In fact, when I think back to my own five closest female friends from college - only one married and stay married and had a child.

Two never married, one married and got divorced (no kids from the marriage), and one married but decided not to have kids.

That's only 1 child out of 5 college educated, attractive American women. And, that's it.

[summer]

It's the best time.

Some people may disagree with you on that.

[Capriole]

Hm.You may have a point there. I haven't run afoul of abruptly-raised taxes or a planning commission wielding Eminent Domain, but there's always the Homeowners' Association. I licked that one by joining the board of directors of the local homeowners' association and making the rules to suit me.

[Tauzero]

'fraid not

[Tauzero]

"Not a good situation"

Indeed. It's a self-limiting phenomenon.

[waterstraat]

I think the country will suffer in that the best educated women will not be the ones bearing children due to the reason we've discussed.

That is nothing new.

In the 1960's there was a movement for "Zero Population Growth". It worked! Native born american women have had a negative populaion growth since 1970. Even more so for American born women of European decent.

The fastest growing segments(highest fertility rates) of our population are black women, latin women, and immigrant women - traditionally the poorer segments of our population(and also mostly liberal democrat).

You are absolutely correct!

.......but you are 30 years late in making that observation.

Regardless, welcome to those of us who have shared this concern for the past 30 years.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Summer, I totally can understand where you are coming from, and in fact I have been thinking about buying some property out in the last frontier of Florida. However, I also realize that like any other market, demand can dry up and the value of the investment will drop. The point about the CEOs and sweat equity is a very good one. It is nice to be able to see and touch your investment. My only point is that it is unrealistic to expect real estate prices to continue as they have. At some point, there aren't enough people who can buy the property that goes up 10% a year! Especially when there incomes are only going up 3%.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

No doubt in the long-term coastal land is a good investment. There are no guarantees from year to year though. (and of course, if the oceans rise a little bit those of us closer to central FL may have some coastal property!

[summer]

'fraid not

Uh, there is something called "time" that is also needed to raise kids. Most young people, working 60 hour weeks, trying to get ahead, don't have a whole lot of time. And many young people don't live near enough to family to drop off their kids to grandma. So, with the dissolution of extended families, and the need to work a lot of hours, and then, having little disposable income on top of all this, many people choose to have kids a little later in life. Like when they have more "time" as well as money.

In short - surprise! Kids are more than a tax write-off.

[summer]

At some point, there aren't enough people who can buy the property that goes up 10% a year!

Hey, I don't know exactly where they all come from, but, they're here. And, buying. :)

[missyme]

I moved to Florida and could not wait to leave, no offense to any Floridians but it sucks there especially the weather, although I have never lived in "Cold" weather, but Miami GROSS! Jacksonville- Sucks! I did like the Panhandle Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach the most Beautiful Beaches I have ever set foot on.

The Restraunts YUK! they don't know from Good food, and it's Kinda REDNECK, being that way I guess is not a terrible thing, but they are kind of backward in there thinking and they spend alot of there time getting drunk and chewing tobacco.

OK...Since I slammed Florida, I have to say it is very cheap to live there no state tax, and if you don't want to do anything but stay in your house during the summer when it rains daily ! and when the palmetto bugs and no seeem's are on attack along with the mugginess giving your hair an afro, I think it's a great place to live.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Yes, right now you are right. Let's see what happens if interest rates hit 10% and unemployment is 9%. (it doesn't take very long at all for this to happen).

[meowmeow]

I think the country will suffer in that the best educated women will not be the ones bearing children due to the reason we've discussed.

Only if you assume no upward mobility is possible. I'm one of those childless women (now married) who bought my house at 30 (7 years before I married). My parents were poor and uneducated. I am neither nor.

If we had met and married 10 years younger, we probably would have had children. Now we are legal guardians for friends so we are not totally opting out - just serving as parent-insurance. Wouldn't trade on any of my past decisions. This house has been a blessing and I encourage all single women to step out if they can afford it!