Posted on 10/11/2025 8:24:04 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The greatest generational wealth shift in history has already begun.
Baby Boomers, the largest retirement generation to date, will finish shifting up to $105 trillion to heirs by 2048. And according to a recent LegalZoom survey*, 62% of what will be left behind is anticipated to be real estate or property.
But rising home maintenance costs could pose a problem for younger generations.
For instance, property values have increased “almost 27% faster than inflation since 2020,” per the Tax Foundation. And with higher home valuations, heftier property tax bills typically follow.
So will the inherited wealth be enough to support the higher costs of homeownership? Or will heirs need to sell priceless heirlooms to stay afloat?
Per the LegalZoom survey, 42% of Young Americans don’t feel “financially prepared to keep and maintain” an inherited home left to them today. Among their top concerns when inheriting a house include:
So, while 62% of the older generation(aged 45 and above) surveyed by LegalZoom expect to leave behind real estate to their loved ones, only 18.6% of younger Americans in the survey actually feel “very prepared” to maintain an inherited property.
Although inheriting a house may sound exciting, future generations may struggle to maintain a home left in the family will. And that’s not just because home costs are rising.
Other factors contributing to a “house-rich, cash-poor” mentality are generation-specific. For instance:
Thus, instead of using an inherited home as a priceless heirloom, future generations may use that real estate to help them pay off debt, which may be disappointing news for those hoping to pass down a family home to be used by future generations.
*Note: Deloitte surveyed 14,468 Gen Zs from 44 different countries.
While talking about wills and estates with your heirs may be uncomfortable, it’s important to take the time now to discuss what the future looks like for your family.
Here are a few tips to get the sensitive wealth transfer talk started in your household:
Overall, the most important component of family finance is ensuring that the plan works for everyone.
So if you haven’t had a conversation with future heirs about generational wealth, or are worried about taxes affecting your loved ones’ inheritance, make a plan to talk with your heirs and consult with a qualified estate planning or tax professional sooner rather than later.
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Boomer here. Like many peers we started in our late 30s and ended in mod 40s 1989 to 1997.
Evidently we stsrted3 or 4 times
Colleges might require students take courses in classroom management, educational law, English as a Second Language instruction, child psychology and do classroom internships so a large percentage of college graduates would be classroom ready.
“Government schools serve two purposes, baby sitting and providing government jobs.”
High school students shouldn’t need “baby sitting.”
Isn’t the cut-off for inheritance tax around $6M?
No one should be whining about that.
Estate tax legislation supported by Democrats
Democrats have generally supported the estate tax, viewing it as a tool to reduce wealth inequality and generate revenue.
Democrats have generally supported the estate tax, viewing it as a tool to reduce wealth inequality and generate revenue.
But somehow, no matter how many generations of Kennedys pass, the family fortune is not gobbled up by inheritance taxes.
Indeed the old saying it’s all in who you are
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