Kate Wood, lending expert with Nerd Wallet, and Kristina Modares, co-buying strategist with Joynt, reveal why young women are shying away from marriage because homeownership isn’t romantic.
Buying houses together, literally? That is an emerging trend among homeowners today.
Kate Wood, a mortgage expert at NerdWallet, told Fox News Digital that co-op buying is attractive because housing is “very expensive in the United States.”
Wood said people are buying homes with friends and family members: “What we’re seeing now is an increase in co-buying between friends. Or people who are family members, but basically they’re buying a home with someone in a non-romantic relationship.”
According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile, first-time home buyers include 25% single women and 10% single men, while the share of married couples remains low at 50%, based on data collected from July 2024 to June 2025. In comparison, among all home buyers, 61% are married 9%, single women 21%.
The NAR also shared that the average age of first-time home buyers has increased from 38 by 2024, to 40. Additionally, purchases by first-time homeowners will make up 21% of all buyers by 2025.
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Kristina Modares, co-buying strategist at Joynt, shared her experience of co-buying with friends, family, and a single dating partner.
“I tried to buy a house when I was 23. I don’t know why I thought I could do it on my own,” he told Fox News Digital. “I was just like, yeah, like I live with five roommates. Like, I can do this. And then I looked into it, I couldn’t get proof or a mortgage. So I asked a friend, and he was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll buy a house with you.’ So that’s how I entered. “
Wood said one in four homes were bought by single women by 2024.
“It is interesting that it is single women who make up this large number because it is much higher than single men,” said Wood.
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Wood said this points to a shift away from “old fashioned” ways to travel the modern way of owning a home.
“Now we see people doing things in order that makes them understand where they are in their lives financially, but also emotionally, just how they feel, how they are ready for these important steps at different times,” she said.
Modares warned that the decision to buy together should not be taken lightly, saying that you should be ready to “examine yourself” and be a loyal partner.
Modares he added that this trend can encourage home ownership to be considered as an investment.
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A red and white “For Sale” sign in front of a red brick house on the market. (iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)
“The American dream is being reimagined in many ways. So it’s about allowing other options and ways to dream,” Modares said. “Collaborative shopping is a form of development to meet Americans where they are today.”
Modares He said he was happy with the new way people are choosing to own a home.
“I think that the world is changing in many different ways, which pushes us to enter the community, which I really enjoy, honestly,” she said.
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Producer US monthly mortgage payment fell to its lowest level in two years, but could have fallen even further if not for rising prices, according to a recent Redfin report.
Monthly mortgage payments fell to $2,413 during the four weeks ending Jan. 11. However, the national price of home sales is still rising, up 1% year over year. That’s down sharply from the 4% to 5% increase in early 2025, according to a brokerage report Thursday.
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Metros the ones that saw the biggest declines were in the South and the West Coast. For example, the biggest declines were in Dallas and San Jose, California, which saw home sales prices drop 4.4% and 3.7% year over year, respectively.
About 15 metros in total saw their median home sale price drop in the four weeks ending in Jan. 11.
The cities that saw the biggest increases were Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Warren, Michigan.
Fox Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report
