Here's how brokers can step in to help those with care responsibilities for two generations
Affordability has been one of the biggest topics in the US throughout 2025. Most experts believe that it will continue into 2026.
Data released over the last few weeks shows the challenges affecting not just the mortgage market, but the country as a whole. A USA Today story said polling data showed that nearly three in 10 voters had delayed medical care in the last year due to costs.
This has carried over into the housing market, as Cotality recently reported that affordability pressures led to a 15% slowdown in out-of-state migration over the last five years. These affordability challenges have politicians scrambling for new ideas, such as 50-year and portable mortgages.
Two executives at one of the top wholesale mortgage brokerages in the country are working to address affordability, especially for a segment of potential buyers caught in the middle of two generations.
For David Temko (pictured top left), CEO, and Perri Garner (pictured top right), CMO of C2 Financial, affordability is a growing concern. One group of people heavily affected by financial stress is the “sandwich generation,” those who are caring for both elderly parents and young children.
“There's a lot of pressure between these generations, a group that we refer to as the sandwich generation,” Garner told Mortgage Professional America. “They're in a position where they have been working, but now they've got to take care of their aging parents. They've also got little kids that they're taking care of, and there's a lot more responsibility on the home front.
“I think there are obviously financial opportunities to help them through loan products. It’s an interesting conundrum that people are in right now where they're really trying to navigate these financial complexities of a world that is far more expensive than anything that they've anticipated.”
Providing guidance
Temko said that helping solve this affordability crisis is something that mortgage brokers can assist with by providing credit and budgeting guidance. This can help give customers who are buried under the weight of their financial situation some hope for an eventual solution.
“Affordability is a huge component that we're dealing with in the market today,” Temko told Mortgage Professional America. “I think having a greater population of folks who understand how they can afford a home is imperative, and it starts with education. It starts with their credit, and then understanding their income, and how to utilize and budget their income.”
For customers who are struggling with affordability, the idea of buying something as pricey as a home seems completely unattainable. Temko believes this is where brokers have to step in and try to explain that it can be attainable with the proper steps.
“I think you bring it back to keeping it simple,” Temko said. “You’re taking away the broader question of, ‘How can I afford something that seems so challenging in this market?’ It’s about starting with them on what they need to do, developing those good practices, and obviously doing it with someone who can actually execute. Telling them, ‘Hey, if you do this, I can help you do that.’ It's a teamwork play to show them that light at the end of that tunnel.”
Finding solutions
All of the recent talk about 50-year mortgages and other potential new loan products made Temko and Garner really consider how mortgage brokers could start taking action to address these affordability challenges. Their company is offering free virtual credit and homeownership counseling sessions on its website to help brokers reach and guide customers directly.
“I think some of the inspiration behind this event was that we were hearing all of the talk around the 50-year mortgage,” Garner said. “We're hearing all of this crisis talk around affordability and inflation rising. We see it in our communities, where people are concerned they can't get the home they want. Rather than just kind of talk and be a part of the conversation, we said, ‘How can we actually help, and how can we take action on this?’”
MBA's Mike Fratantoni emphasizes that while first-time buyer age remains stable at around 33, affordability remains a major hurdle. Buyers are leveraging FHA loans, ARMs, and relocating to lower-cost regions to achieve homeownership. https://t.co/Caudrjl7bC
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) December 9, 2025
She said one of the things that the mortgage broker community is best at is finding solutions for people who may have been told that there were no answers for them.
“I think there are people who still dream of buying a home,” Garner said. “Their family is growing, or they're going through some life change, and they don't have the option to not make a move right now. Those people are looking for solutions, and I think that's where the broker community really thrives. We're able to operate in this market so nimbly with so many different products that they couldn't find if they go down the street to their bank.”
Stay updated with the freshest mortgage news. Get exclusive interviews, breaking news, and industry events in your inbox, and always be the first to know by subscribing to our FREE daily newsletter.
