A couple, 27 and 28, say they dread family gatherings because her cousins, both a few years older and already homeowners, spend the whole time discussing their home equity and renovation plans. The couple has $38,000 saved but says they feel embarrassed admitting they’re still renting, even though they’ve been saving consistently for three years.
But having $38,000 saved at their age doesn’t necessarily mean they’re falling behind. They may not be ready to buy the home they want yet, but comparing their savings to someone else’s home equity ignores differences in income, timing, location, family assistance and how long each household has had to build wealth.
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Why This Comparison Doesn’t Hold Up
Her cousins may have bought at a different point in the housing market, had different incomes or received help from family. They may also simply have had more time to build equity.
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Comparing the couple’s current savings to someone else’s accumulated home equity leaves out the most important part of the equation: where each household started.
Nationally, about 65% of U.S. households owned their homes in the second quarter of 2026, meaning roughly 35% were still renting. Homeownership also varies considerably by age, income and location.
The couple isn’t necessarily behind because they haven’t bought a home yet. They’re simply at a different point in their financial timeline.
What $38,000 Can Actually Do
A 20% down payment on a $410,700 home would be $82,140, before closing costs. That means the couple isn’t close to a traditional 20% down payment on a home at that price.
But 20% isn’t a requirement for every homebuyer. Depending on their income, credit, debt and eligibility, they could potentially qualify for financing that requires substantially less upfront.
That makes the more useful question less about whether they’re “behind” and more about what they want their $38,000 to accomplish.
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Money earmarked for a home purchase also needs to be treated differently from money intended for long-term investing. Keeping some savings liquid can make sense when a home purchase is a near-term goal, while longer-term money may have more room to take investment risk.
Getting Real Estate Exposure While They Keep Saving
For people who want real estate exposure without buying and managing an entire property, fractional real estate investments offer another option. Arrived, for example, allows investors to purchase shares of individual rental properties with a minimum investment of $100. Investors can potentially receive income from rent and benefit from property appreciation, although neither is guaranteed.
That can give the couple a way to participate in real estate while continuing to save toward a future primary residence. It doesn’t replace the need for an emergency fund or a dedicated home-purchase fund, and investments can lose value.
There is also a major difference between owning a fraction of several rental properties and owning a home outright. Arrived handles property management and other operational responsibilities, while investors receive economic exposure to the properties.
The approach can also provide some diversification. Instead of tying all of their real estate exposure to one future home or one neighborhood, they could potentially own fractional interests in properties across different markets. That doesn’t eliminate risk, but it can reduce dependence on the performance of a single property.
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A Different Kind of Answer to Bring to the Next Gathering
Arrived gives investors a way to buy fractional interests in rental properties without taking out a mortgage or becoming the landlord themselves. For a couple that wants to keep building its home savings while also exploring real estate as a long-term investment, that could be one way to gain exposure without buying an entire property.
Still, the couple shouldn’t invest money they’ll need soon for a down payment simply to keep up with relatives. Arrived says its investments are speculative and can be illiquid, and investors can lose some or all of their principal.
They’ve decided to keep $25,000 in their home savings account and put the remaining $13,000 into their first set of real estate investments this month.
Their cousins may have more home equity to talk about at the next family gathering. But that doesn’t mean the couple has nothing to show for its own financial progress.
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Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market
Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.
Arrived
Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.
Frontieras
As electricity demand accelerates alongside AI and domestic energy production becomes a growing priority, Frontieras is developing patented technology that converts coal into fuels, chemicals, and low-emission energy products without combustion. Through its Regulation A offering, investors can gain exposure to an emerging energy infrastructure company focused on modernizing American industrial and power resources.
FarmTogether
Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.
Fundrise
Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.
Qnetic
As electricity demand rises alongside AI, data centers, and renewable energy, long-duration energy storage is becoming increasingly important. Qnetic is developing a kinetic energy storage system designed to provide long-lasting, chemical-free electricity storage, offering investors exposure to the infrastructure supporting a more resilient and reliable power grid.
Mode Mobile
Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.
EquityMultiple
For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.
BluSky AI
As artificial intelligence drives unprecedented demand for computing power, the infrastructure behind it is becoming just as important as the software itself. BluSky AI is developing modular, prefabricated data centers designed to bring AI compute capacity online faster than traditional builds, giving investors exposure to a critical layer of the rapidly expanding AI ecosystem through its Regulation A offering.
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