I
wrote about millennials inheriting homes from baby boomers, and it infuriated the forgotten generation - Gen Xers

    Getty Images; Ava Horton/BI

    Tales of intergenerational turmoil often strike a nerve. When I wrote about millennials who aren't ready to inherit homes from their boomer parents, I steeled myself for angry emails. But what I didn't expect was backlash from Gen Xers. My story still holds true: Millennials will soon inherit trillions of dollars' worth of real estate as boomers age out, leaving them with complicated questions about trusts, taxes, and what to do with their parents' belongings.

    Readers let me know that I had overlooked Gen Xers. "You seem to not realize there was a generation between the boomers and millennials," one reader wrote. Amy Reed, a 52-year-old in Ohio, emphasized that Gen Xers are already dealing with the same nightmare scenarios outlined in my story. As members of the Sandwich Generation, they're stuck sorting out their parents' affairs while helping their own children.

    Reed's situation is not unique. Gen Xers own about $14 trillion of US real estate, but their population numbers lag behind both millennials and boomers. Economists say that most of the wealth will end up in the hands of millennials. "Gen X has this reputation as kind of being on their own," says Eric Finnigan, a demographer at John Burns Research and Consulting.

    While Gen Xers appear to be doing well financially, they got screwed in their own way during the housing bubble. The typical Gen Xer bought their first home in 2004, just before the crisis. Many ended up underwater on their mortgages, with more than a quarter owing more than their houses were worth by 2014.

    Now, Gen Xers are caught between caring for two generations with vastly different needs. A survey found that around 40% of Gen Zers living on their own still get financial help from their parents - most likely Gen Xers. "There's a lot of financial pressure on this generation," says Jessica Lautz, an economist at the National Association of Realtors.

    Reed knows this all too well. She's trying to save up to help her children with down payments while also dealing with her aging parents' property and belongings. "I work full time, my husband works full time, and we just kind of do what we can," she says. Reed hopes to eventually sell their house and move into an apartment out west, closer to the kids.

    Such financial pressures have other Gen Xers worried about whether they'll be able to afford retirements at all. One woman in her 50s told Business Insider that she had spent over $100,000 taking care of her mother in a 15-year span. "I'm exhausted financially," she said.

    Gen Xers aren't known for making a fuss, but Reed isn't any different. "I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing," she says. "And you know, how society views my generation? Whatever. I can't change it."