A shortage of homes for resale is helping keep home prices up and beyond the reach of many would-be buyers. However, the majority of baby boomers who own many of the existing houses that could become the dream homes of young families have no interest in selling. Indeed, more than half believe younger generations could afford to buy a home if they tried harder or were more responsible.

These are the findings of a survey of 1,100 Americans born between 1946 and 1964 by Clever Real Estate, a St. Louis-based real estate company. The survey was conducted in July. Of the boomers surveyed, 61% currently own their homes, and 54% of them plan never to sell because they attribute much of their financial security to home ownership. Almost 90% also say it leads to a more stable home life. And 46% say they would consider themselves failures if they didn't own a home. Only 15% expect to sell in the next five years.

However, 25% of boomer owners also want to stay put because a new home would cost more than they could afford as a result of inflation or because of the high costs of assisted living or retirement communities.