Lack of communication red flag?

Hello everyone!

I've been with my boyfriend for almost 7 years. Even with being this committed I am starting to get cold feet at the idea of staying with him. There have been somethings he has done and hasn't done that make me completely uneasy. I have thought about calling it quits several times recently but I'm utterly terrified.
He has a VERY hard time communicating. When something bad happens or we get into a fight his initial reaction is to go silent. When we fight I feel like I am the only one talking, I can only get one word answers from him which only frustrates me more. I'm all about communicating so when I'm upset or mad you will definitely know it. For example, he lives with his parents still and they are getting evicted for the 5th time now. He just found out last night, I thought he was mad at me for almost the whole day until I called him and had to drag it out of him. The rest of the conversation was grunts and one word responses. It drives me crazy, I've told him that several times to the point that I feel like a broken record.
We have really bonded over the years though and we have an extreme amount of things in common. Sometimes we can know what each other are thinking or finish each others sentences. It sounds cheesy but it's so true. He is very patient and kind hearted where I am a firecracker and impatient. I have a lot of issues with anxiety and depression but I feel like he has softened and comforted me over the years and I've become better because of that.
Some days I think the idea of us getting married is a distant dream though, like it's never going to happen and it makes me want to jump ship even more. Then I look at all the other men around me and I'm so uncertain I could ever have another close connection with someone else. He's 28 and I'm 25 and I feel like this is do or die time for our relationship.
I guess I'm spilling my guts here because I don't have anyone to talk to about this.

What did he do or not do that made you completely uneasy?

How come he still lives with his parents at 28 and how come they've been evicted five times? In America when you marry a man you marry his credit, and his could be dicey.

My BF is also goes silent when there's something stressing him out or we are fighting. I really don't have any ideas for you. Maybe it's a gross generalization, but I think that many men work the way our BFs do and a lot of women work the way that we do - it's just a fundamental communication difference.

Someone on here once suggested that I pick one message and stick with it during arguments instead of jumping all over the place, as I'm apt to do. I think that was a good idea. I mean, a *really* good idea. If I keep the message extremely simple and don't fill in the silence with more words, he is much more likely to respond.

I left someone after 9 years. I still think that I might never find the same connection but the reason I left him is bigger than the fear. I am almost 50 and am still hopeful. It's funny at 25 you think you'll never find the right one.

If things aren't good after 7 years I think you might want to think about it. As about arguments what do you argue about? Men often avoid arguments and rather withdraw feeling attacked

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