What parents tell the children about property

Parents have instilled in their children the desire to get onto the property ladder, not just as a lifestyle choice but as a way to avoid permanent loss of possible wealth. But the expected economic rewards of home ownership are misunderstood by most parents, biased by the experience of their generation. Tell most people what the long term trend of house prices has been ‘in real terms’, after stripping away the illusion of general inflation, and they will stare at you in disbelief. But unless you believe the real trend of growth will be above the real cost of mortgage debt, there will be a high financial price and loss of flexibility on that ladder. Lifestyle benefits may make it worth a high price but, like work/play or pay/satisfaction choices, that’s for kids to decide.