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New York Post
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Buyers priced out of owning their dream home in the suburbs have a solution — they're renting instead
A growing number of Americans have come to accept that they might not be able to afford to buy the idyllic suburban home of their dreams anytime soon—so instead, they are choosing to rent one. In recent years, the supply of rental properties in suburbs surrounding many major metros has surged, driven by both new construction and changes in tenure—meaning that homes once occupied by owners are being rented out to tenants. senior economist Jake Krimmel analyzed data from the latest American Community Survey between 2018–23 and found that the rise in suburban rentals could be seen in metros that saw a boom in new construction, such as Austin, TX, Nashville, TN, and Denver, as well as in cities with low construction rates, among them Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. 7 The supply of rental properties in suburbs surrounding many major metros has surged, driven by both new construction and changes in tenure. Allison – Perhaps unsurprisingly, fast-growing metros saw dramatic increases in renter-occupied homes. Bastrop County, TX, situated about 30 miles from downtown Austin, saw the number of rental properties surge by nearly 50% from 2018 to 2023. During the same period, nearby Williamson County added 46% more for-rent homes, followed by Hays County with 25% and Travis County with 20%. Brad Pauly, an Austin broker and the owner of Pauly Presley Realty, tells that there are currently more renters than buyers in the local housing market. 'Because of the discrepancy between what it would cost to lease versus to buy, leasing has become a more attractive option financially,' he says. 7 Brad Pauly tells that there are currently more renters than buyers in the local housing market. Multiple factors are behind this shift, according to Pauly, including elevated mortgage rates in the high-6% range, which are keeping buyers on the sidelines, as well as the proliferation of rental properties that were bought for that specific purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic years. Additionally, Pauly notes that a large number of homeowners in the suburbs had originally planned to sell, but ultimately opted to rent out their homes in light of the softening market conditions. Krimmel confirms that the housing market analysis mirrors what Pauly has been seeing first-hand in Austin. 'In general, the suburbs have boomed during and after the pandemic, due in large part to people wanting more space and also because the large generation of millennials were beginning to settle down and start families,' he explains. 'With all this demand for the suburbs, we saw a lot of new-construction activity there.' 7 Multiple factors are behind this shift, including elevated mortgage rates in the high-6% range, which are keeping buyers on the sidelines. Nashville has seen a similar trend, with the number of rentals in Williamson County increasing 25% in five years. Meanwhile, Rutherford County and Davidson County saw upticks of 16% and 15%, respectively. On the East Coast, where the construction pace is considerably slower and boosts in rentals come entirely through changes in tenure, the suburbs of Washington, DC, such as Prince George's County and Howard County, added between 11% and 12% of rental homes—while areas outside Boston, including Norfolk and Middlesex counties, saw smaller gains in the single digits. 'In short, demand for suburban living is up, and supply in many markets has met that demand,' notes Krimmel. 'But even in metros that didn't build a lot in response to this demand, we still see a rise in suburban rentership.' While the majority of new construction is built for owners to live in themselves, a suburban construction boom also frees up existing homes for investors to buy and then rent out. 7 A large number of homeowners in the suburbs had originally planned to sell, but ultimately opted to rent out their homes in light of the softening market conditions. Felix Mizioznikov – Fueled by higher interest rates that have put homeownership out of reach for many, built-to-rent construction has been on the rise, especially in the suburbs in the South and the West. Roughly 100,000 new build-to-rent properties are being developed across the U.S. at this time, following a strong year for the industry, which saw a record 39,000 rental single-family homes completed, according to a recent report from citing March data from the real estate research company Yardi Matrix. 'Between investor activity, build-to-rent, and high interest rates keeping would-be first-time homebuyers in a holding pattern, rentership has surged in the suburbs,' says Krimmel. National rents continue on a downward trajectory 7 Roughly 100,000 new build-to-rent properties are being developed across the U.S. at this time. Looking at the overall state of the U.S. rental market, rental prices have been trending down nationally, with May marking the 22nd consecutive month of annual decreases, according to the May Rental Report from The median asking rent in the 50 largest metros was $1,705 per month, down 1.7%, or $29, year over year—but $5 higher than in April. Notably, the typical rent declined in all size categories, from studios to two-bedroom units. The Trump administration's anti-immigrant policies targeting international students—including a pause on new student visa interviews and the suspension of foreign student enrollment at prestigious institutions such as Harvard—are expected to cause rents to decrease in popular college cities like Boston, San Jose, CA, and Seattle. 7 The median asking rent in the 50 largest metros was $1,705 per month, down 1.7%, or $29, year over year—but $5 higher than in April. bilanol – 'As international students are largely likely to rent, the anticipated decline in international student arrivals could reduce rental demand, increase vacancy rates, and put downward pressure on rents in these areas,' says economist Jiayi Xu. San Jose has the highest share of foreign students, at 12.9%, followed by Miami, with 12.5%, and Boston, with 10.8%. While international students make up only a small share of all renters, ranging from 0.2% to 2.1%, they tend to live in areas known for innovation with a high concentration of skilled professionals. 'A decline in international student enrollment could weaken the global and even domestic talent pipeline feeding into high-growth industries and potentially soften rental demand in these markets,' adds Xu. DOGE purge leads to mixed results 7 San Jose has the highest share of foreign students, at 12.9%, followed by Miami, with 12.5%, and Boston, with 10.8%. Meanwhile, metro markets with high shares of federal workers continued to see divergent rental trends in May, with rents rising 1.3% in Washington, DC, but plunging 5.9% in San Diego, following staff purges overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency, which was previously headed by Tesla billionaire Elon Musk. Other areas with strong federal worker presence, including Virginia Beach, VA, and Oklahoma City, OK, saw rents tick down 2.5% and 1%, respectively, while in Baltimore, rents inched up 0.3%. 'These divergent trends highlight that conflicting forces of federal job reductions and return-to-office mandates are some of several factors affecting the rental market in these areas,' notes Xu. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs on imported steel and aluminum could drive up rents in cities that have recently seen the fastest growth in permitted multifamily construction, which is synonymous with rental properties, with Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, OK, Memphis, TN, Cleveland, and Columbus, OH, at risk of being hit the hardest. In May, before Trump doubled the tariffs on aluminum and steel from 25% to 50%, four of these metros already saw modest annual rent declines, the biggest being in Memphis, at 3.3%. Only Columbus saw a slight 0.2% growth. 'These rising material costs are expected to place additional upward pressure on rents, as developers may slow construction or pass higher expenses on to tenants,' warns Xu. Given that it takes just under 20 months to complete an apartment building, it might be some time before the added tariff costs are fully reflected in rents.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buying a House Is the Second Most Important Financial Goal for Gen Z—the No. 1 Goal Is Why It's Out Of Reach
Gen Z is falling behind on the path to homeownership. In 2025, they made up just 3% of all homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®, the smallest share of any generation and a sharp contrast to baby boomers, who accounted for 42% of buyers. While high interest rates and higher home prices have made it harder for young adults to break into the market, new research suggests another force might be working against Gen Z: how they manage their money. According to PYMNTS Intelligence, a payments data provider, despite valuing homeownership, Gen Z's top financial goal isn't buying a home. It's paying off debt. The average Gen Z adult carries an average of $94,101 in personal debt, with credit card debt being the most common. With so much of their income tied up in monthly payments, even high earners in this generation are struggling to save for a down payment or qualify for a mortgage. Debt, not disinterest, might be the real reason Gen Z is falling behind—at least for now. 'Though Gen Z Americans may dream of homeownership, still-high housing costs mean that stepping onto the property ladder may not be possible at this point in time,' says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at 'By prioritizing paying off debt, Gen Z prospective buyers are setting themselves up for success when homeownership does become more feasible.' PYMNTS Intelligence identifies two key money management mindsets: Planners, who proactively save and pay off credit cards Reactors, who handle bills as they come and often rely on credit or loans Gen Z overwhelmingly falls into the latter group. A striking 73% of Gen Zers are classified as reactors, making them more likely to live paycheck to paycheck, carry high-interest debt, and struggle to build savings. That reactive approach can seriously undermine major financial goals, like buying a home, because it prioritizes short-term survival over long-term stability. Even more surprising, the reactor mindset is gaining ground among high earners across generations. Since February 2024, the share of six-figure earners who identify as planners has dropped by 25%. Now, 52% of top earners are reactors, a shift that underscores how widespread short-term financial thinking has become, even among those typically viewed as having the means to plan ahead. Unlike baby boomers, 54% of whom are planners focused on long-term stability, Gen Z is chasing growth. According to the PYMNTS report: Just 7.7% of Gen Z cite retirement saving as a top financial priority, compared with 22.1% of baby boomers. Nearly 7% of Gen Z say their No. 1 goal is starting a business, making them eight times more likely than boomers to focus on entrepreneurship. 'Gen Z Americans have time on their side and may be more willing to take big swings financially, while older generations are more risk-averse,' says Jones. While starting a business can lead to long-term wealth, it typically comes with short-term financial instability, exactly what makes it harder to qualify for a mortgage or build up a down payment. Irregular income, high credit utilization, and limited savings make it much harder to qualify for a mortgage under traditional lending models. Even high-earning Gen Z entrepreneurs might struggle to demonstrate the consistent income or financial reserves lenders expect. This risk-oriented mindset might be a reaction to the current conditions of the housing market. Buyers now need to earn 70% more than they did just six years ago to buy a home, to say nothing of the difference between buying a house now than in the 1960s and '70s, when many baby boomers bought their first homes. These conditions have made many in Gen Z feel that shooting for the moon in business is a more realistic goal than saving for that white picket fence. Homeownership hasn't fallen off Gen Z's radar, but it's taking a back seat to paying off existing debt. Buying a house ranks as this generation's second most important financial goal, with 14.1% of Gen Zers ranking it as a priority. But deprioritizing homeownership, even temporarily, can come at a long-term cost. In a market where prices keep climbing, every year spent focusing elsewhere can make the eventual buy-in more expensive. And because lenders heavily weigh savings, credit usage, and income consistency, Gen Z's current financial behaviors—like revolving debt and low reserves—can delay homeownership even further, regardless of intent or income. In other words, Gen Z still wants to own, but the reactive financial path they're following makes it harder to get there. Without a shift in priorities, many might find themselves stuck in a cycle where the dream of owning a home never quite catches up to their ambition. To bridge the gap between ambition and ownership, Gen Z might need to rethink how they prioritize and manage their money. The good news is that paying off debt, Gen Z's top financial priority, will eventually help them buy a house by lowering their debt-to-income ratio. The area where they can make the biggest changes, though, is in moving from a reactive mindset to a planning mindset. Here's how they can get started: Automate savings to gradually build up a down payment. Track spending patterns to identify areas to cut back. Use credit strategically, aiming to pay in full each month. Pursue both goals in parallel—treat debt repayment as a priority, but not at the cost of building a safety net to support future homeownership. Gen Z hasn't turned away from homeownership, but when the top priority involves risk or volatility, it can make the second one harder to reach. With the right habits and tools, Gen Z can build both the freedom to pursue big dreams and the foundation to one day own a piece of them. What Happens If I Stop Paying My Mortgage? Giving or Receiving a Down Payment Gift? Here Are the Tax Consequences How To Get a Mortgage With Bad Credit (Yes, You Can)
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida Condo Owners Given Unique Opportunity To ‘Swap' Their Unit for House Down Payment Amid State's ‘Condo Crisis'
Florida condo owners are battling a wave of housing issues, including rising HOA fees and skyrocketing insurance costs, with little to no relief from government officials. But Phil Thompson, owner of a luxury custom homebuilder and home-renovation company, is hoping to quell the concerns of millions of condo owners in the Sunshine State with an innovative housing solution. In a swap that seems too good to be true, Thompson is offering to take condos out of the hands of frustrated Floridians and use their value as a down payment for a home under his own company, Coral Reef General Contracting in Fort Pierce. 'As far as the rules of condos, we're entertaining every offer from sellers,' Thompson tells Despite a general shift toward single-family homes in Florida, real estate agents still have a vested interest in condos, which serve a clientele who prefer their convenience, lower maintenance, or specific lifestyles. The median list price of Florida homes in May was $439,999, and condo ownership has become less affordable, particularly for those on fixed incomes in Florida, and many are looking for a way out. In what Thompson claims is a first-of-its-kind 'condo-swap' in Florida, he says he's not worried if a condo appears battered, broken, or run down. With prior experience working with New York City's high-rises, he assures Florida owners that the sky's the limit when it comes to taking in a less-than-perfect condo. 'We'll take a look from the best to the worst conditions,' says Thompson. 'We're not adverse to taking condominiums that have structural problems. I'm not concerned with that because of my structural experience from Manhattan.' Thompson sympathizes with condo owners in Florida who are scrambling to sell their property and saw an opportunity to aid those looking to level up their housing situation. 'So we're not worried about any of these problems,' he adds. 'They're all fixable. Our main concern is to get our buyers here and take the burden off our buyers' backs and make it a nice, transparent, smooth transaction for them.' Coral Reef is offering housing options on South Hutchinson Island that range from $1,500,000 to $3,000,000—depending on the property's proximity to the coastline and other amenities. Thompson says the incentive to ditch an old condo has drummed up enough marketing by itself. Despite a small loss here and there, Thompson is satisfied with the program and its impact. 'On a case-by-case basis, I may lose a few dollars on the condo, but the fact is that we bring our buyer from a negative situation into a positive situation. And it's all about word of mouth—that's how you grow, and that's how you make it in this business,' he adds. In April, both chambers of the Florida Legislature voted unanimously to pass House Bill 913, addressing endless complaints over the rising fees for condominium owners, despite pushback from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Essentially, the bill would aid condominium associations in setting up credit lines and investing funds that would contribute to necessary building repairs instead of immediately looking to owners for the money. 'You had people that were going to be forced out of their condos potentially because of legislation that had come down the pipe,' DeSantis said during a May 20 appearance in Tampa, referencing recent safety laws, as reported by NBC Miami. Condo reform laws continue after a devastating collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside in 2021, which killed 98 people. After the incident, there was a massive effort to improve safety conditions regarding condos over 30 years of age and three stories tall. The new safety laws called for 'milestone' inspections and sought to invest in reserve funds for repairs and maintenance. Lawmakers such as state Rep. Vicki Lopez (R-Miami) have backed the bill, claiming it balances the need for structural safety with financial flexibility, particularly in the context of the rising costs of repairs and insurance for Florida condos, as reported by the Florida Phoenix. 'This incredible bill addressing the condominium crisis we have all heard about for the last year gives a lot of financial relief,' Lopez says. The bill also introduces electronic voting, making it easier for condo owners to participate in decisions, which could be DeSantis' main point of objection. Despite some reservations, Florida lawmakers are confident that the governor will sign the bill, as he's spoken about the condo issue on several occasions in the past couple of months. 'We have this condo issue, that legislation that caused these crushing assessments,' DeSantis said during a press conference in Fruitland Park. 'We know people need relief from that. We've got to do it. The Senate's got a great product that can do it.' HB 913 has been sent to the governor's desk for his signature. Once signed, the bill goes into effect on July 1. 'Captain America' Star Chris Evans Puts L.A. Home on the Market for $7 Million as He Quits California To Move Back to East Coast Inside NBC 'Nightly News' Host Lester Holt's Property Portfolio as He Steps Down After a Decade Billy Joel Relists 14-Acre Main Portion of His Long Island Estate for $29.9 Million
New York Post
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
I live in the desert on the edge of Las Vegas — here's what life in the Mojave is really like
The idea of living on the edge of Las Vegas, with the unforgiving Mojave Desert in your backyard, has lately captivated social media, inspiring dozens of TikTok videos; but for Crystal Wojtowich, it's just her everyday life. Wojtowich is one of many Sin City residents sharing videos of breathtaking desert views. Advertisement The hospitality industry worker, who has racked up 5.6 million views on her video alone, tells what it's like living on the periphery of a bustling city, with her porch overlooking a stark, lunar-esque landscape that is far removed from the neon-lit frenzy of downtown Vegas. 'Sometimes, I do look out at the desert and realize that it is pretty barren, but also realize that with my personality, that peace and quiet is definitely something I wish for in every home that I live in,' Wojtowich says. Wojtowich grew up in a small town in South Dakota and moved to Vegas five years ago. For the past three years, she has lived in a home located in a community called Mountain's Edge tucked away in the southwestern corner of Las Vegas Valley. Advertisement There are about 25 homes in the neighborhood but only three on Wojtowich's street. She explains that she was immediately drawn to the area because it offered her privacy, while at the same time being within a short driving distance from grocery stores and parks. 'The home was a perfect fit for my needs, so the thought of the dark, open desert beside me was not an issue,' she said, adding that she does not feel isolated at all and can still hear the typical noises you would have in any normal neighborhood: cars driving by, kids playing, and dogs barking. 'I actually really love where I live,' Wojtowich insists. 'I'm still perfectly close to everything that I need, while still having that privacy.' How to get used to living in a desert Advertisement But acclimatizing to Vegas' notoriously scorching climate took some time for the former Midwesterner, who was far more used to blizzards than heat waves. 'Your body definitely learns to adapt, but that doesn't mean you still aren't going to sweat,' Wojtowich admits. 3 TikTok user Crystal Wojtowich documents her life on the edge of Las Vegas near the Mojave desert. TikTok/yourfaveazn Living in Las Vegas, where summer temperatures routinely climb into the triple digits, and especially steps away from North America's driest desert, Wojtowich says she quickly learned the importance of staying hydrated, cranking up the AC early, keeping the window shades down, and having her car windows tinted. Advertisement Wojtowich says her daily lifestyle is most noticeably impacted by the desert environment during the blisteringly hot summer months. 'Living an active lifestyle and wanting to be outside, the desert can be brutal,' she admits. 'I love to hike and take my dog places, but it definitely is hard to do that when it's 115+ degrees outside and the pavement is even hotter.' So Wojtowich has adapted, opting to go on hikes and walks during the cooler early morning hours, and investing in a set of doggy shoes to keep her pet's paws from being seared by the sizzling-hot pavement. 3 Wojtowich said she enjoys the privacy she has living by the desert. TikTok/yourfaveazn The pros and cons of living on Vegas' edge Another downside to living in the desert-adjacent neighborhood is the commute to downtown Vegas, roughly 15 miles to the north. 'While I do love where I live most days, there are some days where I could be running late, there's heavy traffic or construction, and my commute takes double the time,' explains Wojtowich. 'Most of my commute to work is just driving to the freeway!' But being a homeowner in an arid landscape off the beaten path has plenty of upsides, according to Wojtowich. For starters, landscaping is a breeze, because there is no grass to water — but there are still shrubs and trees to liven up the backyard. Advertisement The biggest perk for Wojtowich is the location itself, which she says strikes the perfect balance between privacy and community. Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'I get a mix of both lives!' she gushes. 'I have awesome neighbors, my neighborhood is clean, and I love being close to parks so I can attend farmers markets, food events, and even just getting outside.' Wojtowich notes that the relatively isolated location of her neighborhood does tends to attract some rowdy outsiders, who can be heard some nights riding dirtbikes, setting off fireworks in the desert, and even firing guns uncomfortably close to people's homes. Advertisement 'There are a lot of animals and kids nearby, so it does get scary sometimes when you're not expecting it,' she concedes. 3 A residential neighborhood bordering the desert in Northwest Las Vegas. trekandphoto – Asked about her interactions with the desert's wildlife, Wojtowich recounts spine-tingling moments of discovering a variety of 'creepy crawlers,' including scorpions, ants, cockroaches, and stink bugs, in dark closets and under appliances. 'It is so very important to have pest control in the edge homes of Las Vegas because the desert is their home, and they are just a foot away,' Wojtowich advises. 'With just a wall in between our home and theirs, they are bound to get inside at some point!' Advertisement It's also not uncommon to hear piercing coyote yelps echoing in the open desert in the middle of the night, she says. What appears to capture the imagination of social media users flocking to these videos is the otherworldly emptiness of the desert— just a stone's throw from people's homes on the edge of Sin City. 'I think most people would be surprised to learn that while living on the edge might seem unnatural and dystopian, it really is no different than any other neighborhood,' concludes Wojtowich.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mary Lou Retton Is Arrested for DUI Just a Few Miles From Her Childhood Home—Less Than 2 Years After Near-Fatal Pneumonia Battle
Retired Olympian Mary Lou Retton was arrested on a DUI charge during a recent visit to her West Virginia hometown—more than 40 years after she soared to gold medal glory at the 1984 Games and less than two years after she faced a series of life-threatening health battles. The 57-year-old former gymnast, who quickly became a household name after making history as the first American to win the women's all-around medal at the Olympics, was taken into custody on May 17 in Marion County and charged with one count of 'driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties,' according to court documents. Retton, who is currently based in Texas, 1,400 miles away from where she was arrested, posted $1,500 bond on the same day of her arrest. The incident occurred just a few miles from Fairmont, WV, the town in which Retton was raised and lived until the age of 14, before relocating to Houston, TX. Although she made a brief return to the area in 2009, she returned to Texas jut three years later, where she has been based ever since. However, her legacy remains a constant presence in Fairmont, where she has a street named after her—Mary Lou Retton Drive—in honor of her history-making Olympic performance. It's unclear what prompted her most recent visit to Fairmont—nor has she made a public statement about her arrest; however, has reached out to Retton's representatives for comment. The arrest comes less than two years after Retton went through a series of health struggles after being diagnosed with a rare form of pneumonia that left her so sick she said she felt as though she had looked 'death in the face.' Her diagnosis was initially revealed by her daughters in October 2023, when they launched an online fundraiser in a bid to secure donations toward their mother's hospital bills, revealing that their mother did not have insurance at the time of her hospitalization. 'She is not able to breathe on her own,' Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, told her Instagram followers at the time, while sharing a link to a funding page dedicated to her mother. 'My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. She is not able to breathe on her own. She's been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she not insured,' Kelley shared. Speaking to NBC in January 2024, months after she underwent treatment in intensive care, Retton said; 'I mean when you face death in the eyes, I have so much to look forward to. 'I'm a fighter and I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to give up. I have no idea what the future holds for me. I don't know if I'm going to have lasting issues with my lungs. They don't know. I wish I had answers. But I would never give up. It's not in me.' At the time of her hospitalization, Retton was not insured and her family quickly set up an online fundraiser seeking donations to her medical bills—a move that came under fierce scrutiny from critics, who questioned exactly what the money was being used for. The former gymnast, who has four daughters, told NBC that her money struggles had begun after her 2018 divorce from ex-husband Shannon Kelley and were exacerbated by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, leaving her unable to afford health insurance. 'I couldn't afford it, I couldn't afford it, I couldn't afford it,' she admitted. 'But who would even know that this was going to happen to me? That's the bottom line, I couldn't afford it.' In total, the online crowdfunding page raised more than $459,000, which Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, told USA Today more than covered the cost of her mother's medical bills, adding that the family was planning to donate 'all remaining funds' to charity. Retton defended the funding site while speaking with Entertainment Tonight, noting that her daughters were just 'trying to take care' of her and 'didn't deserve' any hate. 'You're welcome to your opinion, but you weren't in that situation. My daughters stepped up to the plate, and they saved my life and all the love and support saved my life, and these finances will only go to medical bills and I said what's left will go to the American Lung Association because I am now a member of the lung disease community. 'It's my daughters who inspire me. They were strong. I can't imagine them seeing me on my deathbed, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was. 'They've shown me pictures of myself, and I didn't even look like me. They inspire me, and they do every day. They're extraordinary young women. They're my biggest accomplishments. Take my five medals. I'll take my daughters over that any time,' she said at the time. 'I don't care about the naysayers. There are trolls everywhere. It's what makes us America. Everybody's got an opinion, but it is what it is,' she added, before confessing that her career—and finances—took a brutal hit during the pandemic. 'Our job is to be near people and talk to them and so there was no work whatsoever, so I mean, it's not like it used to be. Let's say that like the height of my fame was years ago and I just, you know, doing enough to make it, doing enough to pay my bills,' she conceded. The gymnast then got candid about her health issues while speaking to People, telling the outlet that Kelley and her other daughters, Shayla, 30, Skyla, 25, and Emma, 22, thought she may not make it out of the hospital alive. 'They prayed over me, and McKenna said, 'Mommy, it's OK, you can go.'' I didn't have much of a relationship with my mother, but I can't imagine what that was like, to watch their mom on her deathbed,' Retton revealed in 2024. The gymnast told the outlet that she believed that 'God wasn't ready for [her] yet,' admitting that she will 'never be the same.' She added, 'It's been really hard. My lungs are so scarred. It will be a lifetime of recovery. My physicality was the only thing I had and it was taken away from me. It's embarrassing.' Just two years before her hospitalization, Retton had purchased a newly built home in Boerne, TX—a three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom dwelling where she is understood to have been living when she was diagnosed with pneumonia. The abode—which was purchased for an undisclosed amount—sprawls across 2,255 square feet and comes complete with a two-car garage and brick facade. estimates that the home is now worth $551,300. According to property records, an HOA lien was taken out on the home in 2023—a legal claim that is made when a homeowner fails to pay their HOA fees. The lien was filed in March of that year, stating that Retton owed $1,056.88 in unpaid association assessments, handling charges, and collection costs, noting in the filing that this amount 'may continue to increase.' As the time of writing, the lien was still in effect. Retton purchased the property three years after her divorce from Kelley was finalized—with reports later claiming that the former Olympian had received $2 million from her former spouse as part of their settlement. Court papers viewed by the Daily Mail at the time of her health battle revealed details of her split from the former Texas Longhorns quarterback, stating that the division of property saw her walking away with $1,950,597 after an equal division of their assets. Extreme Weather Disasters Will Escalate Foreclosures and Create Systemic Financial Risk in Mortgage Markets, Study Warns Ohio Homeowner 'Hit the Floor' After Seeing Her Home Value Skyrocket—Now She's Fighting To Abolish Property Tax in the State Coffee Tycoon's $90 Million Palm Beach Megamansion Percolates to the Top of This Week's Most Expensive Homes
