Most US millennials finally own homes – and it’s not thanks to their parents

A wave of young adults bought their first home with the help of student loan pauses and remote work - but will the boom last?

Vicki Buehler never thought she would own a home. By her mid-30s, her student loan balance had ballooned to $200,000 after she deferred payments, and she eventually went into default, leading to a subprime credit score. She was a workers' comp attorney in Binghamton, New York, and earned about $60,000. Having my own home was a pie in the sky dream," she said.

This changed suddenly in 2021, when Buehler, a millennial, became part of a wave of homebuyers among Americans her age.