Coming off the heels of Mother’s Day has reminded me of how many women do not feel they can purchase property on their own. I’ve heard stories about feeling safer with another income coming in, feeling that it’s “just too much to take on solo,” and feeling, very simply, the idea that owning property is something you do when you have a partner, not on your own.
Of course, there are still reasons why these myths exist. Historically, property passed down through the male side of lineage. As you probably know, it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that women were allowed to have a checking account on their own, much less be able to obtain credit without the permission of their nearest male relative.
The American dream of a white picket fence, lyrically portrayed in the song “Our House,” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, does not invoke visuals of a single ownership. And yet there is the traditional stance that women are the “nesters” of our species.
The truth lies in the fact that one’s gender should be irrelevant to one’s homeownership goals. The reason I am still in lending after all these years, and all the ups and downs of the market, is that homeownership provides one of the best ways to grow wealth in this country as well as giving much-needed housing security. These are facts based on data, not whims.
For example, the National Association of Realtors said that, in 2025:
- Single women made up 21 percent of all buyers, whereas single men were at 9 percent.
- A record 20+ million single women own homes nationwide (vs. ~14 million single men).
- First-time single women buyers: median income $73,000 (now ahead of single men at $66,400).
- Median age of single female homebuyers/homeowners: ~57-60 (nearly identical to single men). First-time single women buyers are median age 40.
- Single women now out-own single men in 57 percent of U.S. metros and 47 of 50 states.
Is it easier to qualify for more property with dual incomes? Absolutely. Should everyone have their own sounding board for financial decisions, like a personal Board of Directors? You bet! Does the type of property you need to own change based on how many folks are living with you? Most certainly. Yet if single women’s buyer share of homeownership has roughly doubled since 1981, and first-time share more than doubled since 1985, then I dare to say that the story is changing.
Purchasing property is actually a balance of math and emotion. It is something that we each process individually, no matter where we come from, our financial circumstances, or our gender. The financial plan on which you embark on should be based on your current snapshot in time, past decisions, and future goals. The property that you’re taking on should work best within your five-year vision. And we must all know that this insight changes just as the world turns.
What I want you to hear is this: Your gender, your age, and your marital status are all irrelevant when it comes to starting on the path of homeownership. The most important thing that you do is take the first step. Build your own personal Board of Directors, with professionals who will ask questions to challenge you, invoke curiosity in you, offer solutions to support you, and are allies to you in an ever-changing process. Because everybody deserves to build wealth and have housing security, creating your own vision of “Our House.” Light your own fire, and place flowers in your own vase, and may the walls around you reinforce your ability and refine your haven.
Austin Lampson is a licensed mortgage professional and branch manager of Origin Point Mortgage. She has spent the last quarter-century helping her clients balance math and emotion to achieve their financial goals. Reach Austin at (805) 869-7100, austin@austinlampson.com, or visit austinlampson.com.
