Ground Zero: Abandoned homes: A Legacy of Equity & Wealth Degradation

Never before has the number of abandoned houses been so high in our country. Never before has the age of our homes been so old in this country. The ramifications of not dealing with this problem has prevented an entire group of people from realizing their first large scale generational wealth transfer. This book will prove: The increased generational wealth reduction for Black American families because of the age of their homes. The point of diminishing equity for a low income homeowners erodes all wealth. Black American family wealth creation is degraded by an exponential amount positively correlated with the age of the home value. Homeownership is the best way to create wealth. The actual life span of a home matters. Black American families have been forced into old homes. A projects viability to target this consumer with a new single family home development. A potential solution to solve the problem of poor quality homes effect on wealth creation. The abandonment effect on cities. The equity creation is substantiality lower on older homes as the cost to maintain is much higher. The age of the property erodes the equity created for a homeowner the longer it is held. The cost of maintenance prevents these households from saving be other means. Most wealth in low income households is the primary residence. Yet the cost to maintain is too high to keep the property in livable condition. Further exacerbating the problem is a flawed appraisal system for residential homes which overvalues homes at a disproportionate rate because of the appraisal metrics used for valuation. "Disentangling the racial homeownership gap will require changes across the entire housing ecosystem to address entrenched structural barriers." (Urban Insitute, 2020)Analyzing the current appraisal system objectively, to find a solution to the most devastating cause of blight in neighborhoods' and the prevention of wealth creation of Black Americans trapped in old homes through the legacy cities of America. Is the American Dream attainable for all Americans or just those with the newest homes? The contribution of segregation to racial and ethnic housing appreciation in equality suggests a very important and previously under-explored source of asset inequality." (Flippen, 2020)