Not sure what you're talking about, all my kids are mortgage-free by their early 30s (note: zero help from parents except we gave the married ones $10k for their weddings and allowed them to live free at home while they got their undergrad degrees or finished apprenticeships/college diplomas) with two of them, both in private-sector jobs, pulling down more every year more than I ever did even at the end of my career.  Not all follow the herd.