Single women in the US are increasingly buying homes, but some are facing unexpected backlash from men they date. According to the National Association of Realtors, single women now make up 25% of first-time homebuyers, more than double the rate of single men at 10%. Despite earning less on average, women are more willing to make financial sacrifices to prioritise homeownership.
Tiffany Tate, then 29, experienced this tension after a first date. When she mentioned buying a house, her date responded: 'If you buy that house, what’s a guy going to do for you?' The date ended there. 'Why would me buying a house be a deterrent for a guy? Wouldn’t that be a positive?' she said.
Another woman, who asked to remain anonymous, faced similar hostility after buying a condo in San Francisco. 'I feel like it immediately puts men on the defensive, so they start talking about their own finances,' she said. She learned to downplay her achievements to avoid conflict.
Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, said many women are not waiting for a spouse to achieve life goals. 'Home ownership right now is pretty unattainable,' she noted, adding that women may be prioritising financial opportunities over milestones like marriage.
The trend highlights a disconnect between men’s and women’s expectations in heterosexual relationships. While 31% of Gen Z men agree that 'a wife should always obey her husband', young women rank career satisfaction and financial independence as top priorities.
