Lessons Learned from Clients | 2025 Lows Done? & Delayed Milestones

Lessons I’ve Learned from Clients

I was recently asked to list a few of the lessons I’ve learned from our clients over the time I’ve been an advisor. What do our most fulfilled, intentional clients have in common? Here’s my shortlist, knowing a lengthy white paper could be easily drafted on this front.

Generosity. They are deliberately, sacrificially, and quietly generous. Rarely do I review a successful cash flow without giving at the top of the ledger.
Stewardship. They view wealth as a responsibility. One that when handled well, can create an enormous impact and benefit those around them.
Contentment. Consequently, I don’t see this rare condition of the head and the heart apart from generosity and stewardship.
Humility. Success and humility co-exist incredibly well. If anything, humility creates enduring success, both financially and personally. One of my favorite terms on this front is “humbition”, which is a word from my old friend and pastor Dave Harvey and his book Rescuing Ambition. It’s what it looks like, humility and ambition married together. *If you’d like a copy, all you have to do is convince one person to join this weekly email (family, friend, etc.) and you’ll have this great book before the end of the week!
Follow Through. They are disciplined enough when it comes to prioritizing and executing with details often ignored. It’s a simple trait that sets them apart.

I’d like to think that these are traits that I have grown in by spending time with you, our clients. They’re also ones that ground us, the more we give room to consider them and increasingly live them out. This two-way street with clients over the years is now one of the most vital parts of my vocational calling. Thank you is not at all adequate but it’s a decent start on this beautiful Monday in May.

2025 Lows … Will we have more? Some say the lows are in for 2025. It’s impossible to know but it is interesting to understand the upside and downside possibilities.

Milestones and Home Ownership: Major milestones in life have a way of making us feel more grown up, even if we’re already adults. Homeownership is one of those milestones. Recent demographic research shows a significant shift in how Americans form families and approach homeownership, reshaping housing demand in the US, with long-term effects for residential builders, developers, and investors.

The U.S. birth rate has fallen back to the levels last seen in 1983, even as the total population has grown by over 100 million since then. The significance lies not in a temporary dip, but rather a deeper, structural transformation in American family patterns. These patterns are part of a broader trend of delayed life milestones. Compared to 1984, fewer 30-year-olds today are married, own a home, or live independently.

These fundamental demographic changes have direct effects on the housing market.

The current typical first-time homebuyer is 38 years old, up from 33 in 2022. Meanwhile, a record high of 72% of renters in the US are now age 30 or older. It reflects both the prolonged rental periods and the increasing demand for rental properties.

Looking ahead, despite the projected decline of 2.4 million in the under-18 population by 2034, major homebuyer age groups are still expected to grow in the next decade. In the near term, this delay in homeownership will continue to boost rental demand, while the decline in the youth population signals long-term slower growth in future homebuyers.

For investors, understanding these shifts is essential for navigating a changing housing landscape.

*The views expressed represent the opinions of Compass Ion Advisors, LLC, as of the date noted and are subject to change. These views are not intended as a forecast, a guarantee of future results, an investment recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. The information provided is of a general nature and should not be construed as investment advice or to provide any investment, tax, financial, or legal advice or service to any person. The information contained has been compiled from sources deemed reliable, yet accuracy is not guaranteed.

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