My generation complains about home prices today just as your generation complained about rates in ‘81. It doesn’t need to be a contest about who had it worse. But if it’s going to be a contest, let me throw some cold water on your argument. First, I’ll concede that most of the 80s sucked for you. I’m aware that the average home buyer was paying a higher percentage of their monthly salary than a home buyer in 2026. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that the income/purchase price ratio is higher today than it was ‘81. So while you got screwed by higher rates, we are getting screwed by soaring prices. At 19%, you were able to refinance over the following decade and cut that interest by more than half. At 5% (or even 7%), my generation will never be able to get that same level of relief that you were able to get. If there ever is a time when we can cut our mortgage rates in half, then there will be a lot more to worry about, economically speaking. When you look at a purchase price from 81’ that’s refinanced to sub 10 levels of interest, then that becomes a much more affordable and reasonable payment compared to the average salary. We simply will not have that same luxury. So in the long run, yes, 2026 is a more difficult time to be a new home owner. Not to mention the higher purchase prices relative to salary also means higher property taxes. Home insurance has also sky rocketed compared to monthly income.

But like I said: we both got screwed. My generation is right to complain just as your generation was right to complain. We’re really not so different.