• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
FinanceReal Estate

It’s a ‘nepo’ housing market. More than a third of Gen Zers and millennials expect their parents to help with a down payment, survey finds 

By
Alena Botros
Alena Botros
Former staff writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alena Botros
Alena Botros
Former staff writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 27, 2024, 1:05 PM ET
Welcome to the world of "nepo-homebuyers."
Welcome to the world of "nepo-homebuyers."Getty Images

Everybody needs a little help sometimes. And in this housing market, people need their parents’ help. More than a third of millennials and Gen Zers who are planning to buy a home expect their parents, or family, to help with their down payment in the form of a cash gift, according to a Redfin-commissioned survey. 

Recommended Video

If not cash, younger generations looking to buy a home are also planning to dip into their inheritance to fund their down payment, or are simply living with their parents or other family members to save money, Redfin data journalist Dana Anderson wrote. Unsurprisingly, younger generations are twice as likely to visit the bank of Mom and Dad for a down payment on a home than they were five years ago. “Just 18% of millennials used a cash gift from family to help fund their down payment in 2019, according to a Redfin survey from that time, and the share had only increased to 23% by 2023,” Anderson wrote. 

We all know why that is. Home prices rose substantially during the Pandemic Housing Boom, and mortgage rates soared not long after; by Redfin’s calculations, home prices are up almost 40% since the start of the pandemic, and rose 7% in the last year alone on the back of tight supply. As of the fourth quarter of last year, the median sales price for houses sold in the country was $417,700. 

“Because housing costs have soared so much, many young adults with family money get help from Mom and Dad even when they have jobs and earn a perfectly respectable income,” Redfin’s chief economist, Daryl Fairweather, said. 

Last year, Redfin conducted a survey of recent movers and found that 38% of more than 500 buyers under the age of 30 either used a cash gift from a family member or an inheritance for their down payment. Redfin’s Fairweather called them “nepo homebuyers,” a play on words, clearly drawing on nepotism. So forget Hollywood’s “nepo babies,” we’ve got “nepo homebuyers”—what does that tell you about the housing market?

Consider this: The average home value in Los Angeles is $953,501. If you want to put 20% down, that’s $190,700; if you want to put 10% down, that’s $95,350. The median household income in the city is $76,244. If that’s not realistic, consider a more affordable city, like Austin, where the average home value is $533,719. If you want to put 20% down, that’s still $106,744. 

Fairweather was a nepo homebuyer herself. Her mother gave her the money she needed for a down payment when she was 27 years old, Fairweather previously told Fortune. “Had it not been for her doing that, it would have taken me years to be able to afford a home of my own,” Fairweather said, later adding that “year after year, prices kept going up.” 

Even self-made millionaire, self-proclaimed New York City real estate queen, and Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran is telling younger people to ask their parents for help so they can buy a home.

“I have advised more people in their twenties to hit up their parents,” Corcoran said on a podcast last year. “There’s no shame in that. Nobody buys under 40 in New York without the help of their family.”

And we know parents are helping. John Burns Research and Consulting’s vice president of demographics, Eric Finnigan, recently told Fortune that baby boomers were powering the housing market in multiple ways—for one, by assisting their children. “They are still funding the purchase,” he said, “of their adult children’s homes.”

But here’s the thing—in a time when family money matters more than ever, not every family can afford to do this. 

“The bigger problem is that young Americans who don’t have family money are often shut out of homeownership,” Fairweather said. “Many of them earn a perfectly good income, too, but they aren’t able to afford a home because they’re at a generational disadvantage; they don’t have a pot of family money to dip into.”

She continued: “The American Dream is just as much about class mobility as it is the home with a white picket fence, and the housing affordability crisis has made both elements of the dream harder to attain.”

About the Author
By Alena BotrosFormer staff writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Alena Botros is a former reporter at Fortune, where she primarily covered real estate.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

ta
EconomySocial Media
They created AI nudes that got millions of views online. Now they’re being charged with crimes
By Jake Offenhartz and The Associated PressMay 22, 2026
53 minutes ago
Best private student loans in May 2026
Personal FinanceLoans
Best private student loans in May 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 22, 2026
56 minutes ago
g
Energygas
Gavin Newsom takes rare step of telling Californians to avoid Chevron: ‘Big Oil is already making billions off Trump’s Iran War’
By Sophie Austin and The Associated PressMay 22, 2026
1 hour ago
dimon
Investingbubble
Jamie Dimon sees ‘exuberance’ in markets. That’s a loaded word when it comes to bubbles popping
By Nick LichtenbergMay 22, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for May 22, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for May 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for May 22, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for May 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 22, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 21, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
Conferences
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.