The oldest members of Generation Z – roughly defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 – have reached early adulthood. They’re not quite the age of the average first-time home buyer but they’re definitely at an age when they’re considering whether or not they might want to buy a home in the future. So how do these young Americans feel about homeownership? Is it as important to them as it has been to previous generations? Well, according to one recent survey, it is. In fact, 65 percent of respondents said it was personally important to them to own a home. Among them, nearly 90 percent said they felt it was an important part of building wealth, with respondents who want to buy in the future citing financial security and stability as the top two reasons to buy. In other words, Generation Z clearly sees the enduring benefits of homeownership and views it as key to their financial future. A good portion of them have already gotten started. Census data shows 25 percent of Americans under 25 currently own their own home. (source)