Parents, grandparents step in as down payment backers amid affordability crunch

Homeownership is becoming a multigenerational project, with most parents now treating their child’s future down payment much like a college fund, according to a new report from Coldwell Banker Real Estate. The company’s 2026 American Dream Report, conducted with The Harris Poll and released Oct. 28, found that 82% of parents with children ages 5 and under are either saving or have considered saving for their child’s future home down payment. The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults underscores how deeply families still value homeownership even as high rates and record prices keep affordability at the center of the housing conversation. Parents plan for down payments decades in advance Among parents of children 5 and under, 14% have already started saving for a future down payment, compared with 20% who are saving for their child’s college and 28% who are saving for their own retirement, the report said. Across all parents, a child’s future down payment (56%) now sits alongside college (51%) and a first car (49%) as a key savings goal. Younger parents are driving the trend: 85% of Gen Z and 82% of millennial parents have considered or started saving for a down payment for their chi...