Still nervous about homebuying in 2025? You're not alone: What buyers said in new survey

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Maddie McGay, NorthJersey.com

Tue, Apr 1, 2025, 6:21 AM 3 min read

Homebuyers and lodging experts person tried to stay optimistic astir the absorption of the U.S. lodging market, but the deficiency of important betterment successful affordability has near radical feeling weary.

Overall, 92% of radical who would similar to ain a location said they were astatine slightest somewhat stressed astir buying 1 successful 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report's 3rd yearly Homebuyer Sentiment Survey.

The survey — which collected responses from 1,200 Americans nationwide who are readying connected buying a location this twelvemonth utilizing a owe — said these feelings are chiefly a effect of however costly lodging has become, particularly implicit the past 5 years oregon so.

A Redfin existent property gait motion is pictured successful beforehand of a location for merchantability successful Seattle, Washington.

So however bash homebuyers consciousness astir the existent lodging market, and what would request to hap for them to bargain a location this year? Here's what they said, according to the survey.

Homebuyers successful America: Mortgage rates stuck successful a rut arsenic system turns gloomy. What's adjacent for the lodging market?

A bulk of the homebuyers surveyed — astir 80% — said they are waiting for owe rates to travel down earlier buying successful 2025. This is akin to the 76% who said they enactment disconnected buying a location past twelvemonth owed to owe rates.

With that, 18% said they're waiting for rates to driblet beneath 6.5% portion 27% said they're waiting for rates to driblet beneath 6%. Additionally, 30% said they're waiting for rates beneath 5.5% and 25% are looking for rates beneath 5%.

"About fractional of homebuyers (48%) are consenting to hold betwixt 3 and six months for owe rates to fall, but arsenic of this writing, rates aren't expected to dip beneath 6% successful that timeline," the survey reads. "For the 36% of those who are consenting to hold much than six months, that patience mightiness wage off, but it whitethorn not: Forecasting owe rates is incredibly hard adjacent for economists, fto on the mean homebuyer."

When asked to picture their section lodging markets, galore homebuyers utilized words similar "unpredictable," "expensive," "confusing" and "bad." With this, 37% said they deliberation their section marketplace is much apt than others to worsen implicit the adjacent 3 years, portion 28% said their section marketplace is little apt to worsen. And astir 27% said their marketplace is astir the aforesaid arsenic others.

Despite this cognition connected a section level, astir 57% of respondents said they judge the greater lodging marketplace volition amended successful 2025, but 26% said they judge it volition lone get worse.

Because of the respective large earthy disasters that took spot crossed the federation implicit the past twelvemonth oregon so, astir 63% of homebuyers said that clime risks were a origin they considered erstwhile deciding connected wherever to acquisition a home.