Nearly 10 Million People 65 and Older Have a Mortgage — Here's Where They Make Up the Largest Share of Homeowners. Mortgages are the largest debt owned by many Americans, which is why it's often recommended that homeowners pay off their balances before they retire.
Homeownership rate in the U.S. 2021, by age
The homeownership rate among Americans under 35 years was 37.8 percent in the second quarter of 2021. In contrast, almost 80 percent of those aged 65 and older owned their home. The homeownership rate is the proportion of occupied households which are occupied by the owners.
According to a 2019 report from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, 46% of homeowners ages 65 to 79 have yet to pay off their home mortgages. Thirty years ago, that figure was just 24%. There are several smart ways to retire without a mortgage.
HOMEOWNER AND RENTER TRENDS
A large majority of older households—76.2 percent of households age 50 and over, and 78.7 percent of house- holds age 65 and over—own their homes.
The most common mortgage term in the U.S. is 30 years. A 30-year mortgage gives the borrower 30 years to pay back their loan. Most people with this type of mortgage won't keep the original loan for 30 years. In fact, the typical mortgage length, or average lifespan of a mortgage, is under 10 years.
A good goal is to be debt-free by retirement age, either 65 or earlier if you want. If you have other goals, such as taking a sabbatical or starting a business, you should make sure that your debt isn't going to hold you back.
Paying off a mortgage can be smart for retirees or those just about to retire who are in a lower-income bracket, have a high-interest mortgage, and don't benefit from tax-deductible interest. It's generally not a good idea to pay off a mortgage at the expense of funding a retirement account.
If you're 65, you're not too old to buy a house — provided that you have the finances to make a down payment, cover your monthly mortgage payments, and keep up with expenses like maintenance and property taxes.
Key findings
Across these three metros, an average of nearly a quarter — 23.64% — of homeowners 65 and older have a mortgage. That's about five percentage points higher than the 50-metro average of 18.91%.
So, it should come as no surprise that homeowners put down roots here (literally and figuratively). Roughly 48 percent (47.9, to be exact) of all owner-occupied homes are mortgage-free.
In general, financial planners don't count the equity in your home when constructing a retirement income plan. Practically speaking, you need a place to live! So financial planners count it as a personal asset, even though it's a large part of your net worth.
Buying a home with a mortgage as a retiree can be more difficult than buying a home with standard employment income. Most lenders consider pension, Social Security and investment income as your regular income.
Of course there are a host of other factors, like income level and spending patterns, contributing to someone's ability to become a millionaire, but according to Hogan's research, the average millionaire paid off their house in 11 years and 67% live in homes with paid-off mortgages.
Mortgage Debt in the US
In 2019, the average American mortgage debt was $213,599. This figure increased to $215,655 or by nearly 1% (0.96%) in 2020. If we go further back, the difference is a bit higher. For example, in 2015, the average balance owed for mortgages was $184,323.
Can you get a 30–year home loan as a senior? First, if you have the means, no age is too old to buy or refinance a house. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from blocking or discouraging anyone from a mortgage based on age.
Answer. Social Security does not prohibit an individual from using their disability benefits to buy a house. However, those who receive SSI or concurrent SSI/SSD benefits should be careful. ... But if the individual is making some income (under the allowed SSI amount), he or she may be able to buy an inexpensive house.
In theory, buying a house after retirement gets you more for your money than renting. ... Issues such as fluctuations in market value, unexpected maintenance expenses, and insurance deductibles can increase costs over and above those of renting.
Median retirement income for seniors is around $24,000; however, average income can be much higher. On average, seniors earn between $2000 and $6000 per month. Older retirees tend to earn less than younger retirees.
So how much income do you need? With that in mind, you should expect to need about 80% of your pre-retirement income to cover your cost of living in retirement. In other words, if you make $100,000 now, you'll need about $80,000 per year (in today's dollars) after you retire, according to this principle.
Can I retire on $500k plus Social Security? Yes, you can! The average monthly Social Security Income check-in 2021 is $1,543 per person.
That means most American adults either carry a mortgage, owe on a car, face monthly student loan payments, roll over charges on their credit cards—or all of the above. And yet, over half of Americans surveyed (53%) say that debt reduction is a top priority—while nearly a quarter (23%) say they have no debt.
The average credit card holder in the U.S. had $5,668 in credit card debt in Q2 2021 — that's 1% higher than Q1 2021's $5,611 average. From the first Q1 2020 to Q2 2021, the average credit card debt per cardholder decreased by $766 or 12%. The average cardholder had $6,434 in Q1 2020.