Journal of the Korean Housing Association ISSN:2234-3571(Print) 2234-2257(Online) 한국주거학회논문집

The purpose of this study is to explore the housing pathways of middle-class married women toward owning a first home. In doing so, an in-depth interview as a qualitative method was conducted, life history was utilized to track down the path to first-home owning, and all the interviews were transcribed for analysis. The research participants were well-educated middle-class full-time housewives owning a home. The findings indicated that family formation through marriage and child birth was a primary driving force to buy a home. It was shown that owning a home was perceived not just as a stepping stone for building both family wealth and social capital but as one of the most important pillars to reinforcing traditional family values. In spite of some intergenerational distinctions on the path toward home owning, commonalities across generations included that home owning was considered to be a social icon for middle-class, it became almost impossible for younger generations without parental support which stimulated the intergenerational transfer of wealth, and it was greatly determined by both family income (affordability) and home finance options(borrowing capacity). This research implies that the changing social landscape transforms the value on homeownership and could undermine the socioeconomic strengths of home owning. Nonetheless, it’s of importance to strategically assist first home-buyers who are likely to be a member of middle-class.