Buying a Home in 2026? Boomers Say “Work Harder,” Zoomers Say “Priced Out!” — REALTOR® Reveals Truth

Buying your first home in 2026 feels impossible to many young buyers. Here's a breakdown from Brendan Ecker, Michigan REALTOR® with Keller Williams Lakeside.

- Buying your first home in 2026 feels impossible to many young buyers.
- Boomers say “you’re not working hard enough.”
- Zoomers say “the math doesn’t work anymore.”

So who’s right?

As a Michigan REALTOR®, I’m breaking down the real reasons people are getting priced out of real estate—and what actually matters if you want to buy a home or invest in property today.

In this video, we cover:
- Why credit score matters more than most people think
- The real truth about DTI (debt-to-income ratio)
- Why many buyers fail before they even start
- Employment history, cash reserves, and down payments explained
- The difference between a home as a liability vs an asset
- Why real estate still creates wealth—even in tough economies
- How entrepreneurs and investors play the game differently
- The economy is real. The struggle is real.
- But complaining won’t get you a house—strategy will.

If you want help getting pre-approved, understanding your numbers, or buying real estate in Michigan, I can help. At the end of the day, success comes down to knowledge, discipline, and action. Call me when you're ready to make your next move in real estate.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Framing The 2026 Housing Debate
• 0:20 Credit, DTI, And Lending Basics
• 1:03 Why People Get Priced Out
• 1:18 From Complaints To Action
• 1:24 Investing, Wholesaling, And Cash Flow
• 1:42 What Makes Real Estate Attractive
• 2:16 The Approval Checklist
• 2:26 Work Ethic And Taking Action

Transcript

Brendan: 0:00

Real estate in 2026. The youth will say, the zoomers will say that it's too expensive, it's too impossible, it can't happen, it doesn't make sense. The math isn't there. The boomers will say, Well, you're not working hard enough to get that house, you're not working out, you're not working hard enough to get your own independence, you're not working hard enough to get your own house. I say, that's not true. A few things that you need to know before you can ever get your first piece of real estate. One of those things are that you have to have a perfect credit score. You gotta have a great credit score, actually. The better your credit score, the better you'll be. And something that you should understand is that life isn't about the SAT, it's about the freaking DTI, the debt to income ratio. It's about the credit score. Everybody wants real estate, but why can't everybody get it? They don't have a two-year employment history, they don't have the money. They just don't they simply don't have the equity. They don't have money to put into the down payment, they don't have money to afford any of the renovations on the home. They don't have, they don't really know what to do, oftentimes. And a lot of the time, today in 2026, people just get priced out, ultimately. The zoomers will say we get priced out, the boomers will say those zoomers don't work hard enough. I think it's somewhere in the middle. I think it's an economic problem. But how do you handle the economic problem? What's the solution? Everybody complains about the economy. So how do you get out of it? Well, you need to be introspective, you need to be an entrepreneur, you need to be a business owner, you need to be willing to get into the game of real estate. You got to be willing to learn what is wholesaling, what is investing, how much money can I make on an investment property? What's the difference between rental income properties and owning just a regular home? What's the difference between considering a home an asset versus considering a home a liability? Well, obviously, a home that's an asset means you money, and that's a rental income property. What's an average landlord? Well, a landlord is technically a lord. Everybody wants to be a lord, everybody wants to be a god in 2026. That seems to be. Look at the powers that be in the principalities. But what are they what's the one common thing? They all love real estate. Why do they love real estate? Well, if you have the money, real estate is easy money. Real estate is fix and flail. It's very simple. It's a simple business model, it's just not easy to attain it. So, again, what are the checkboxes you need? Good debt to income ratio, good credit score, money in the bank account, two years employment history. Look at all these things. And then you gotta have the basic knowledge of real estate. You gotta get pre-approved by a mortgage lender. So if you need help with all of these things, I can help you. My name is Brendan Ecker, and I'm a real estate agent in Michigan, a real tour in Michigan. So I can help you. Let's work on your next real estate deal, your next transaction. You can search listings on Brendan Eckerrealty.com, or I can help you personally. Shoot me a DM and let's get started. At the end of the day, it comes down to knowledge, it comes down to will. You see, the people who are beating you in real estate and business, they're doing more work than you. Okay, the realtors who are winning, whether it be real estate, whether it be a digital marketing agency, whether it be any business, whether it be a lawn mowing company, whether it be a power washing company, whether it be a financial institute, are you willing to do the work? Are you willing to do what is required in the business? Are you willing to take the action that you need to take in order to win? In order to succeed in a way that allows everybody in your family to have financial success.