About 9 in 10 adults under 40 say it’s harder for them to buy a home than their parents’ generation. Those same young adults, according to Pew Research, were less likely to think a home is a good investment.
Meet 1st Lt. Rachel Shaffer. She’s definitely the exception.
Shaffer didn’t move to Utah thinking she would buy a house at 25. But when her apartment lease came up for renewal this year, she jumped on an active-duty military service member benefit: a 0% down loan backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Speaking as an individual, not on behalf of the military, Shaffer said the low upfront cost helped get her into the market.
“I was able to just pull the trigger and buy a house when I decided that it was right for me and I could afford the monthly payment,” she said.
Utah has about 16,000 military service members, plus 130,000 veterans. The VA guaranteed more than 800 homebuying loans in Utah this spring, with an average loan amount of $525,000.
Homeowners still borrow from private lenders, but the VA backs the loan in case they default.
On the advice of a coworker, she shopped around for a better rate and said she worked hers down to 5.5% for a 30-year mortgage — which is an incredible get. Nationally, the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate just rose to 6.66%, up from 6.58% in just a week. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now the highest it’s been since July 31, 2025, when it was at 6.72%. As recently as late February, the average rate dropped slightly below 6% for the first time since late 2022.
Shaffer was surprised by how easy it was to buy her three-bedroom 1986 split-level in the Davis County suburb of Clinton. Unlike the Utah First Time Homebuyer Program, VA loans aren’t limited to new builds or new buyers.
Plus, Shaffer has a monthly military housing stipend. It was enough to pay her old rent, and now it covers all but $500 of her mortgage. The price is worth it to her.
“It's super nice knowing that that money isn't just something that I'm never going to see again,” she said. “It's money that is building equity for me.”
The neighborhood’s suburban feel was a big selling point, and Shaffer appreciates how close her new home is to her work. Most of the nearby homes are a combination of brick and wood, but each has its own design. When she pulled up in a moving truck with her boyfriend, who helped her move in, neighbors were practically bursting from the woodwork.
“They were like, ‘Do you guys need help carrying things in?’ which was so sweet, so we feel incredibly blessed,” she said.
Shaffer is young for a homeowner. Two-thirds of people ages 25 to 44 in Davis, Morgan and Weber counties owned their homes in 2024, and their median age was 37, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The fact that she owns her house hasn’t sunk in. She still makes a monthly payment, so it doesn’t feel too different. But the independence is a bit overwhelming.
“There's a lot to do and a lot that I'm responsible for now, and I can't just call a maintenance person if something goes wrong anymore,” she said, though she hasn’t run into any issues yet.
On the other hand, the freedom can be exciting. There are no neighbors above or below, and she can decorate however she wants. Her best friend just bought a house in Colorado, and they talk about the weight of responsibility.
“Her go-to line is like, ‘Yeah, but you can paint a wall!’” Shaffer said with a laugh.
Shaffer painted her bedroom green, had its dark brown carpet replaced with white, and is on a mission to find the perfect chairs for the kitchen table that came with the house.
But she doesn't want to put too much money into her first home because she doesn’t plan to stick around forever. When she moves on, she might sell if the market is right. Or she could rent out the Clinton house and get a second VA loan.
“If I can own this home and potentially buy another, the next place that I live, I think that that would be really great for me,” she said. “And hopefully that’s what I’ll be able to accomplish.”
Editor’s Note: This summer, KUER is asking Utahns how they got the house. Not everyone has served in the military, so if you don’t have access to a VA loan, here are a few tips from a realtor to get in the market.
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
