>> reporter: like eric edwards, a pipe fitter, and rachel, a restaurant manager, who saved up to buy their first home in central new jersey last year. they decided to skip producting altogether, going -- renting altogether. going straight to buying their own home. >> the money spent on renting could have been better used paying a mortgage or saving up for a house. >> it was parents that were actively kicking us out. >> reporter: they may not have a white picket fence in front of their first home, but their idea of the american dream is no different than the generations before them. >> you come home, and it's a different feeling to know when you walk through the door that this is mine. >> reporter: and, jon, experts that we talked to say millennials are not just buying homes, they're also investing in home improvements to make their home perfect for them which, obviously, is good news for a generation that was hit hard by the financial crisis. jon: they've been getting a bad rap all this time. >> reporter: yep. they're out buying. jon: abby huntsman, thank you.