The Psychological and Social Aspects of Single Female Home Buying

Abstract

The desire for homeownership in the United States is longstanding (Shlay, 2006). Marriage, leading to family household formation, has been the traditional path to homeownership. However, in the boom years of the mid 1990s to 2000s, unmarried women made up more than one-third of the growth in real estate ownership (Joint Center for Housing Studies, 2005). Further, twice as many unmarried women as unmarried men bought homes during that period (Joint Center for Housing Studies, 2005). Utilizing an interpretative qualitative paradigm, in-depth interviews, and social identity theory, this research explored the social, psychological and symbolic meanings that single, never-married women in their 30s and 40s attributed to the home buying experience. This work consisted of 12 in-depth interviews and included participants from two eastern states. In total, nine social and psychological themes emerged; seven were strongly supported and identified by at least 6 of the 12 participants, while two received moderate support and were discussed by at least 3 of the 12 respondents. The themes discussed in this paper identified and answered the question of why single women bought homes and focused on the symbolism of homeownership. Findings revealed that women buy homes to take control of their lives, to feel more grown up and to gain a sense of security or stability. At the same time, homeownership can be stressful to the women and intimidating to the men in their lives. This analysis would be of use to professionals in the housing industry to better understand the motivations of single female home buyers.