Real Estate Remains the Most Accessible Path to Wealth for Black Americans

Property is Power!

Real Estate Remains the Most Accessible Path to Wealth for Black Americans

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There’s one thing I’ll always love and deeply respect about real estate:it is, perhaps, the last truly accessible wealth-building path that remains in this country. That may sound like an exaggeration to some. But for those of us who understand the way this nation is structured those who read between the lines of history, policy, and the present economy we know it’s not hyperbole. It’s truth.

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America has never been an equal-opportunity nation when it comes to wealth. Not for us. From the moment the first land deeds were written, from the Homestead Act to the GI Bill, access to property and the power that comes with it was systematically withheld from Black people. We’ve been redlined, disqualified, undervalued, and shut out of generational wealth pipelines time and time again. And yet, real estate is still here. Still accessible. Still capable of changing lives.

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Why Real Estate? Why Now?

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Because in this moment, amid rising costs, inflation, student debt burdens, and a volatile job market, real estate offers something few other wealth vehicles do leverage. You don’t need to be rich. You don’t need to have a perfect credit score.You don’t need a million-dollar inheritance. You just need the right mindset, access to information, and the courage to begin.

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Here’s the truth: You can buy a duplex using an FHA loan with as little as 3.5% down. Live in one unit, rent out the other. That’s called househacking. The moment you do that, you are no longer just a homeowner, you are a real estate investor. oreven Non-QM products to shift your trajectory. And the truth is, many of us already have what it takes. We’re educated. We’re resourceful. And once you have that first property,you’ve built the foundation to do it again. One deal becomes two. Two becomes four. Now you're building equity, generating passive income, and positioning yourself to play the game that was never designed for you but that you’ve now mastered.

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Compare that to other industries. Try launching a startup, buying stocks at scale, or navigating private equity with no network, no capital, and no margin for error. The barriers are sky high. But with real estate, your first deal can happen with strategy, discipline, and a commitment to learn.

The Power to Shift the Narrative

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This is more than economics. For Black families, real estate is one of the few remaining tools we can use to close the racial wealth gap in real,tangible ways. According to the Federal Reserve, the median net worth of a homeowner is nearly 40 times greater than that of a renter. Let that sink in.

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Owning property doesn’t just improve your financial health it changes how you move in the world. It gives you leverage in your community. It gives your children stability. It builds legacy. And it forces this country to recognize your value in ways that can no longer be ignored or dismissed.

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We don’t just need homes we need ownership. Because ownership creates accountability. It shapes political power. It anchors families. And ina world where we’re constantly told what we can’t have, it gives us something that cannot be taken lightly: agency.

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What’s Holding Us Back?

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For many of us, it’s not ability. It’s access. It’s not intelligence. It’s information. Too many brilliant, educated, and capable Black professionals still believe homeownership is out of reach. They’re managing six-figure careers while renting year after year. They’re told the market is too hot, or interest rates are too high, or that they’re too late.

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But here’s what I tell my clients: You’re not too late. You’re right on time.

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Because now, more than ever, we need a generation of Black investors, homeowners, and property holders who are not just buying for themselves but building for those who will come after them.

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It starts with one property. That duplex? It could be your launchpad. That single-family home you renovate and rent out. That’s your business. That four-unit building you own in the neighborhood your parents grew up in. That’s redemption.

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You don’t need 100 doors to start. You need one.

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And with the right education, the right community, and the right support system, that one door can unlock an entirely new future for you, for your children, and for generations to come.

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The Property is Power Perspective

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At Property is Power, we’re not just talking about buying homes.We’re talking about reclaiming space. About building institutions, not just portfolios. About changing the way our people engage with money, ownership, andlegacy. This work isn’t just personal it’s political. It’s historical. It’s transformational. If you’re reading this and you’ve been on the fence thinking it’s too risky, too late, too expensive, I invite you to challenge that belief. You don’t have to do it alone. You just have to be willing to do it differently.

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This isn’t about speculation. This is about using existing tools FHA loans, househacking, down payment assistance, or even Non-QM products to shift your trajectory. And the truth is, many of us already have what it takes. We are resourceful, community minded. What we often lack is permission not from the system, but from ourselves to believe that this path is possible.

Let’s move from consumer to creator.

Let’s move from surviving to building.

Because Property is Power. And it’s our time to own it.

Dr.Anthony O. Kellum – CEO of Kellum Mortgage, LLC

Homeownership Advocate, Speaker, Author

NMLS# 1267030 NMLS #1567030

O:313-263-6388 W: www.KelluMortgage.com.

Property is Power! is a movement to promote home and community ownership. Studies indicate

homeownership leads to higher graduation rates, family wealth, and community involvement.

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