50 Million Millennials Haven't Bought a Home Yet — Here's Why That Matters | Nora Guerra | Connect

Affordability. Access. Inventory. These words get thrown around constantly — but what do they actually mean for the families sitting in a financial literacy event in Atlanta wondering if they'll ever own a home? In this episode of Connect, California MBA CEO Paul Gigliotti sits down with Nora Guerra, Senior Vice President of Community Lending Solutions at Guild Mortgage, for one of the most inspiring and grounded conversations on affordable homeownership we've had on the show. Nora has spent her career — including time at Freddie Mac — focused on one mission: getting real information to real people so they can make one of the most important financial decisions of their lives. She's hosting over 50 financial literacy events across the country this year alone. This is what boots-on-the-ground advocacy looks like. In this episode: - Why the biggest myth holding buyers back is the belief they need 20% down — and how to dispel it - The power of comparing a PITI with MI payment to a rent payment — and the aha moments that follow - Why 19 years of renting could have been 19 years toward a paid-off mortgage - How HUD counselors are one of the most underutilized resources in the housing ecosystem — and how Nora deploys them at every event - Freddie Mac's free, multilingual Credit Smart financial literacy curriculum — and how to access it - Guild's Workforce Housing initiative: 22 teacher union partnerships and 11 programs that can help teachers live in the communities they serve - The Homium shared equity program: a 40% shared equity second with no monthly payment, already transforming Detroit - How Nora is inviting local politicians — from city council members to U.S. Senators — to her events and showing them the data firsthand - Why responsible access to credit and expanded access to credit are not opposing ideas - The generational opportunity: 50 million millennials who haven't bought yet, and Gen Z just entering the workforce Connect is the California MBA's podcast where strategy, innovation, and leadership come together to shape the future of mortgage finance. Subscribe for new episodes featuring the voices driving the industry forward.