If you help your kids out by assisting them to buy a property, you are not giving them "character building" and not letting them survive on their own (and your assisting the exorbitant prices for houses).
However some would say if you go ahead and spend your kids inheritance, your a selfish son of a bitch and shouldn't have had kids in the first place if you were to not provide for them when they need your help the most.
My parnets rented defence force housing for donkeys years and saved NOTHING...
Eventually buying a crappy little dog box for $36000 in 1981.
Didn't give me a cent to buy my first house ( I rented with the girlfriend for a year to save up my deposit) and bought a house (which I agree was bloody cheap in 1988).
I for one do not want to see my kids struggle their entire life to buy a house just so they can "build character". I have the great aussie dream of owning a home, and I instill this value into my kids.
Sure they WILL work damn hard to get the house they want, however if I can help, I will.
What's the difference if I give them money now to buy a house or when I die they use the proceeds of my estate. NONE I don't think. I have one house, my kids need to convert that into 2 houses, hence the reason why housing prices go up (eventually). Called supply and demand.
Sharemarket goes up, sharemarket goes down. House prices go up, house prices goes down. Timing is everything. Greed is bad...
Making your kids sruggle when they DON'T have to is ridiculous. There are other ways to build kids character.
