Family Homesteads with Tangled Titles Are Contributing to Rural America's Housing Crisis

Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America's housing crisis

Imagine your parents leave you and your siblings a share of land that's been in your family for generations. Several of your relatives already live on the land, and you'd like to do the same; but you can't get a loan to build or renovate a home without permission from all the relatives who also share ownership. And at any moment, another heir could sell their share, triggering a court-ordered sale that could force you off the land—and lose every…

Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America’s housing crisis

Rural Studio helps families build new housing on land with tangled titles, meaning there's no clear owner. Auburn University Rural Studio. Photo by Timothy Hursley, CC BY-SAImagine your parents leave you and your siblings a share of land that’s been in your family for generations. Several of your relatives already live on the land, and you’d like to do the same; but you can’t get a loan to build or renovate a home without permission from all the…

Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America’s housing crisis

by Jennifer Pindyck, Auburn University; Christian Ayala Lopez, Auburn University, and Rusty Smith, Auburn University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Imagine your parents leave you and your siblings a share of land that’s been in your family for generations. Several of your relatives already live on the land, and you’d like to do the same; but you can’t get a loan to build or renovate a home without…

Family Homesteads With Tangled Titles Are Contributing to Rural America's Housing Crisis

AUBURN, Ala. (THE CONVERSATION) — Imagine your parents leave you and your siblings a share of land that’s been in your family for generations. Several of your relatives already live on the land, and you’d like to do the same; but you can’t get a loan to build or renovate a home without permission from all the relatives who also share ownership. And at any moment, another heir could sell their share, triggering a court-ordered sale that could for…