Their Dad Can't Understand Why People Struggle With Housing Now. Probably Because He Never Had To—His Parents Bought His First Home

A recent Reddit post made an impact on many people after someone shared a conversation with their father about the challenges of homeownership today.

"My dad: ‘I don’t understand why your generation has such a hard time getting a house.’ Also my dad: ‘My parents bought my first house for me,'” they wrote in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit. The irony was lost on the father, but not on the internet.

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Nodding Along And Changing The Subject

The conversation, which started with a simple complaint about the housing market, took an unexpected turn. When the Redditor asked how their dad had managed to afford a home at their age, he casually said his parents bought it for him. 

When the person pointed out how that gave him instant equity and a huge financial advantage, the dad just “nodded along and said something along the lines of ‘have you talked to your sister recently?'”

One person summed up the mood with a sharp reply: “Idk, dad, maybe you should've bought me a house like your parents did for you. Maybe then I wouldn't have such a hard time buying a house.”

Others vented about their own parents, who frequently downplayed modern housing struggles while sitting on fully paid-off homes that cost a fraction of today's prices.

‘What Are You Even Doing With Your Life, Dad?’

“Next time you see him, say, ‘What are you even doing with your life, Dad? Your parents had already bought houses for their kids by your age,” one person jokingly pointed out. 

A recurring frustration was the refusal of many older parents to acknowledge how much the system has changed. Another commenter wrote: “My dad bought his first house by himself working for Albertsons as a cashier, supporting a stay-at-home mom and me as a baby back in 1990. I pay twice what he pays for property taxes in rent.”

The generational disconnect extended beyond housing. One person recounted how their dad criticized them for using a connection to get a restaurant job, right before bragging about how his first job came through a family friend.

Support? Not So Much

Commenters pointed out how many boomers were gifted homes, cars, or tuition by their parents, yet turn around and shame their children for not pulling themselves up the same way.

Another response nailed it: “Most people I know who own homes either had their parents buy it for them, got help with a down payment, or received an inheritance. But they act like it was all hard work.”

The original poster later added more context. After their mom passed away nearly 20 years ago, their dad became a more caring and involved parent. “Her death changed him profoundly,” they wrote. Still, when it came to financial realities, he remained detached. 

Generational Disconnect And Financial Reality

For many in the thread, the most maddening part was the hypocrisy. “Tell him that most wealth is passed down intergenerationally. If his parents helped him buy a house, what did he f*ck up so back that he couldn’t do the same for you?” another person asked.

It was a thread full of people grappling with the rising costs of housing, stagnant wages, and parental denial.

Many expressed frustration that their parents, often homeowners thanks to family help, failed to grasp how dramatically the economic landscape has shifted and that homeownership now feels out of reach for much of their generation. 

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