Home buyers are waiting for better market conditions, with about half (49%) believing it will be easier to buy in five years.
ST. LOUIS, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — An overwhelming 95% of Americans who plan to buy a home in the next five years say at least one barrier is preventing them from purchasing today, according to a new report from Best Interest Financial and Clever Real Estate, a St. Louis-based real estate company.
High home prices are the top obstacle, cited by 48% of future buyers, followed by high mortgage rates and the inability to afford a down payment, each at 33%.
Although the median U.S. home now costs roughly $403,000, nearly two-thirds of buyers (63%) say the most they can spend on a home is less than $400,000.
More than 3 in 4 buyers (77%) think it is more difficult to purchase a home today than it was five years ago, and 58% worry they may never be able to buy at all.
About 57% of future buyers say they could not comfortably afford the typical $2,000 monthly mortgage payment, and 40% are concerned they won’t be able to keep up with that payment once they buy.
A drop in home prices would prompt 54% of buyers to start seriously looking, followed by increased inventory in their price range (43%) and falling mortgage rates (38%).
For many, homeownership is no longer the first priority. About 81% of future buyers say there are other life goals they would rather achieve first, led by paying off debt (36%), traveling the world (27%), and building a career (26%).
The shift is sharpest among younger generations, with 92% of Gen Z and 87% of millennials putting other milestones ahead of buying a home, compared to just 76% of boomers.
Whether they plan to buy within five years or within a year, the share of Americans who are not confident in their home-buying knowledge is identical, at 54%.
Ultimately, an overwhelming 94% of buyers admit they’re concerned about purchasing a home, and 56% aren’t confident they can avoid regrets at closing.
Read the full report at: https://bestinterest.com/research/future-home-buyer-report/
About Best Interest Financial
At Best Interest Financial, borrowers come first, with personalized guidance and tailored mortgage options. Since 2024, hundreds of families have trusted Best Interest Financial to achieve their dream of homeownership. Now an affiliate of Clever Real Estate, a free agent-matching service that has saved consumers over $240 million on Realtor fees since 2017, Best Interest shares a mission to connect people with the best solutions for every step of their real estate journey.
About Clever Real Estate
Clever Real Estate‘s content reaches over 10 million readers annually, and its nationwide agent matching service has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 4,000+ customer reviews. Since launching in 2017, Clever has reached $16.2 billion in real estate sold, matched over 234,000 customers with realtors, and saved consumers over $240 million on commission fees. Clever’s network spans over 12,000 active agents across all 50 states.
Contact:
Alyssa Evans
Clever Real Estate
417303@email4pr.com
315-690-1518
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SOURCE Best Interest Financial
