'Houses before spouses': This Austin woman went viral on TikTok for buying 6 properties with friends. Does her hustle explain why single women now own more homes than single men?

In total, Modares now owns six properties — all of which she purchased with friends, she explained in another viral video.

She currently runs a real estate business, famous for its slogan, ‘Houses Before Spouses.’ Modares said that she and her business partner coined this term as a way to encourage young, single people to consider home ownership as a viable financial option, even if they’re not partnered.

“People buy with their spouses all the time, why is this any different?” she added.

Modares isn’t alone either. According to a survey from U.S. surety bond provider, JW Surety Bonds, 13% of Americans had purchased a home in recent years with a non-romantic partner, such as a sibling, friend or parent.

Why is this happening?

Nearly 25% of those who have bought homes with non-romantic partners revealed they couldn’t have afforded a home on their own, according to the JW Surety Bonds survey.

The study further breaks down whom the respondants would prefer to co-own property with — with friends and siblings coming in at almost equal levels.

The company also discovered that more than half of platonic co-homebuyers are millennials, just like Modares. Millennials, the oldest of whom are now in their early 40s, have lived through two recessions and skyrocketing housing prices.

In fact, mortgage rates and soaring housing costs have become so high that even wealthy young Americans are turning their backs on the dream of home ownership.

Waiting until marriage to buy property has also become increasingly more difficult, given skyrocketing housing prices and the fact that people are marrying later (if at all).

In 1980, the average age for grooms was 25 years old, while the average age for brides was 22, according to Census data. In 2023, the data shows that those ages have increased to 30 and 28, respectively.

Why this may become a trend for boomers

Though millennials are the driving force behind this co-buying trend, it’s something that 9% of boomers have done too, according to the JW Surety Bonds survey.

The trend may even become more popular for older adults, as many are starting to live with roommates. Around 913,000 Americans aged 65 and older live with roommates who aren’t relatives or spouses — nearly double the amount since 2006, according to a study from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS).