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How Falling Birth Rates Reshape the Mortgage Industry
Description
Episode 45 of The Demographics Podcast explores how declining birth rates and an aging population are fundamentally reshaping the mortgage industry. Lucas and Luna discuss why older homeowners are staying put longer, reducing housing turnover and constricting supply. They examine the rise of reverse mortgages as a financial tool for retirees and the growing share of first-time buyers who are older, delaying homeownership. The episode also covers how lenders are adapting underwriting criteria for a grayer borrower base, including new products that account for non-wage income like pensions and investments. Specific data points include the percentage of mortgage originations now going to borrowers over 55 and the growth rate of reverse mortgage originations over the past five years. The conversation ties these trends to broader demographic shifts, illustrating how the aging of the population is not just a social phenomenon but a force reshaping core financial markets.