Millennials tend to get a bad rap for being , well , unlike from the generation that precede them . And while there ’s piddling evidence to back up the stereotypes about Americans roughly aged 18 to 39 , one affair is certain : Millennials make up the largest coevals in U.S. history . And despite their historical low rate of homeownership , 31 percent of millennials own homes in 2015 according to Harvard ’s Joint Center for Housing Studies ' Improving America ’s Housing 2017study .
But why they ’re buying these homes might storm you . It ’s not after they ’ve arrive married or when they ’re design for the birth of a child . Nope . They buy a household to have more space and a good yard for their hound .
That ’s right : A survey released in late July 2017 by Harris Poll and SunTrust Mortgage found that as many as a third ( 33 percentage ) ofmillennialswho buy their first home say they did it for their furry friends .
Shannon Quinn Lewis , 37 , and her married man , are both greedy volunteers and Stephen Foster with Atlanta ’s Angels Among Us Pet Rescue . The couple just moved to a domicile in the northerly suburbs of Atlanta . " Our frank were theonlyreason we moved ! " says Lewis in an electronic mail . " Living business district did n’t provide them the blank space we felt they deserve . The first time I visualize them all play and playing in the K , I knew we made the right decision . "
Lewis is n’t your typical domestic dog owner , though . She has 10 of her own , and is presently fostering three for Angels Among Us . At any give time , she can have as many as 10 foster dogs in addition to her own , so buying a menage with her dogs in thinker was a necessity . The hotdog go from take a tiny 250 - hearty - human foot ( 23 - straight - meter ) yard to a tumid , half - acre ( .2 hectare ) greenspace .
" We would take them to park and trails , but we want a 1000 of their very own that they could run off leash and really enjoy , " says Lewis . " fall in them a big fenced - in - yard allows us to drop sentence with all of them love the outdoors . "
Despite having 10 dogs , Lewis is n’t alone . Stacy Slocum , a real estate of the realm agent with Georgian Home Realty , just sell a home to her 30 - something guest Amber ( last name withheld ) who also was searching specifically for her Samson terriers . " Her top antecedency were a large secret , fenced backyard and well-situated accessibility to that railway yard from inside , " Slocum says . " She also did n’t require footmark at all , since her dogs are fairly turgid and one is honest-to-god and has hip joint issues . " Slocum enunciate Amber was even unforced to appear outside of her preferred sphere just to find the perfect place for her andiron .
Amber also need to be able-bodied to entertain friends without the dogs being confine to a tiny domestic dog expanse while guests were confabulate . And even though the search took them six week , Slocum find Amber precisely what ( her detent ) need — a four - bedroom ranch house with immense yard and privateness fence . And to top it all off , Amber gave her dogs the master bedroom . " The weenie have the largest bedroom in the sign of the zodiac , " Slocum say . " They have French door that open up to the vast backyard . It ’s a corking space to open up the doors and permit them to roam around and wager with one another . "
And that ’s precisely what Lewis and Amber part with other millennials : their love for their dogs and the desire to make them a part of the family . Alate 2016 Mintel studyfound that seven in 10 male millennials and three in five females now own frankfurter . In fact , 75 percent of old millennials like Lewis and Amber ( ages 30 to 39 ) have bounder .
And they ’re uncoerced to shell out cash for them , which is adept news for the pet diligence . In 2016 alone , Americans spent$66.75 billionon things like food , three , collars and vet aid . Millennials in particular are n’t afraid to drop hard cash on their favourite — 76 percentsaid they ’d happily " splurge " on item like expensive treats and customs duty bed . And perhaps a new mansion .
