Skip to main content

Nearly 80% of Americans Say It’s a ‘Bad Time’ to Buy a Home

CUToday

WASHINGTON—Americans are feeling pretty pessimistic when it comes to purchasing a home.

The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) increased slightly in July, as consumers’ increased confidence regarding their personal financial situations, but that was largely offset by further pessimism toward homebuying conditions, Fannie Mae reported.

Three of the HPSI’s six components increased month over month, including the components measuring job security and home price expectations. However, 82% of consumers reported that it’s a “bad time to buy” a home, a new survey high and up from 78% in June.

The full index is up 4.0 points year over year.

thumbnail_Fannie HPSI

“While consumers are reporting confidence in the components related to their personal financial situations, it’s unlikely we’ll see housing sentiment catch up to other broader economic confidence measures until there is meaningful improvement to home purchase affordability,” said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae senior vice president and chief economist.

Duncan noted that in July, a significant majority of consumers indicated their jobs are stable and that their incomes are the same or better than they were twelve months ago.

‘All-Time Low’

“However, homebuying sentiment once again matched its all-time low, with only 18% telling us that it's a good time to buy a home,” Duncan said. “Unsurprisingly, consumers continue to attribute the challenging conditions to high home prices and unfavorable mortgage rates. Further, the share of consumers expecting home prices to continue to rise has also been on a steady climb since March, which may only add to perceptions of unaffordability.”

Duncan added that Fannie Mae has not seen much movement in the “good time to sell” component over the last few months, an indication that the current low levels of existing homes for sale will likely continue to persist in the near term, as also reflected in our latest forecast.”
Survey Highlights

According to Fannie Mae, highlights of the survey include:

  • Good/Bad Time to Buy: “The percentage of respondents who say it is a good time to buy a home decreased from 22% to 18%, while the percentage who say it is a bad time to buy increased from 78% to 82%. As a result, the net share of those who say it is a good time to buy decreased 8 percentage points month over month,” Fannie Mae said
  • Good/Bad Time to Sell: “The percentage of respondents who say it is a good time to sell a home remained unchanged at 64%, while the percentage who say it’s a bad time to sell remained unchanged at 36%. As a result, the net share of those who say it is a good time to sell remained unchanged month over month,” Fannie Mae said
  • Home Price Expectations: According to Fannie Mae, “The percentage of respondents who say home prices will go up in the next 12 months increased from 36% to 41%, while the percentage who say home prices will go down decreased from 26% to 24%. The share who think home prices will stay the same decreased from 37% to 34%. As a result, the net share of those who say home prices will go up in the next 12 months increased six percentage points month over month.”
  • Mortgage Rate Expectations: Fannie Mae noted the percentage of respondents who say mortgage rates will go down in the next 12 months remained unchanged at 16%, while the percentage who expect mortgage rates to go up decreased from 47% to 45%. “The share who think mortgage rates will stay the same increased from 36% to 38%. As a result, the net share of those who say mortgage rates will go down over the next 12 months increased three percentage points month over month.”
  • Job Loss Concern: “The percentage of respondents who say they are not concerned about losing their job in the next 12 months increased from 77% to 80%, while the percentage who say they are concerned decreased two percentage points from 22% to 20%,” Fannie Mae said. “As a result, the net share of those who say they are not concerned about losing their job increased six percentage points month over month.”
  • Household Income: “The percentage of respondents who say their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago remained unchanged at 19%, while the percentage who say their household income is significantly lower remained unchanged at 10%,” according to Fannie Mae. “The percentage who say their household income is about the same remained unchanged at 71%. As a result, the net share of those who say their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago remained unchanged month over month.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday Reading - Social Security 101

  Social Studies   Social Security 101 The US Social Security   system is best known for providing income to the nation’s elderly population based on the amount of money they earned during their working years.   The Social Security Act of 1935 established the program  amid the worsening poverty crisis that older Americans faced during the Great Depression. By 1934, more than half of those aged 65 and older lacked sufficient income to cover their basic living expenses.    Today, most US workers are familiar with seeing a percentage of their pretax income deducted from their paychecks and contributed to the nation’s Social Security trust funds. Starting a...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

“The CU Teller of the Future”:

  “The CU Teller of the Future” : Credit union tellers will continue to play an important role, but their work will shift from routine transactions to relationship-driven financial guidance. Technology will handle more basic tasks, freeing tellers to focus on personalized service, financial coaching, and member trust. What Future Tellers Will Focus On The teller of the future will deliver member-centric, personalized experiences by anticipating needs, offering proactive guidance, and explaining financial products in simple, supportive ways. They’ll need to be comfortable working across multiple channels —in person, mobile, chat, and video—while keeping service seamless. A security-first mindset will be essential, including fraud awareness and helping members practice safe digital habits. Tellers will also play a growing role in financial wellness , assisting with budgeting, saving, debt management, and long-term planning. Strong knowledge of compliance and documentation will...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Dolphin Debit Drives Efficiency

  Contact Us   4k Surcharge-Free ATMs for Free   Dolphin Debit Access | 1340 Rayford Rd | Spring, TX 77386 . Joe Woods, CUDE  | SVP, Marketing & Partnerships Dolphin Debit Access, LLC | A Euronet Company 1340 Rayford Park Rd., Spring, TX 77386 (M) 614-378-0367   www.dolphindebit.com ================================================= Remember, you're not alone with  NCOFCU.org Join/Upgrade Check out some of NCOFCU's additional features: First Responder Credit Union Academy Financial Literacy Podcasts YouTube Mini's Blog Job Board
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

'Tis the season for fraud! Teller questions if member fraud is suspected.

  When a credit union employee suspects a member may be subject to fraud, they should initiate a careful conversation focusing on the nature of the transaction and external influences. The goal is to help the member identify red flags without the employee asking for sensitive personal information that the credit union should already have on file.  Initial Verification Questions    .pdf Before discussing the specifics of the suspicious activity, the employee should confirm the member's identity in accordance with established internal protocols.  Questions About the Transaction/Activity If the member confirms they are conducting a suspicious transaction (e.g., a large wire transfer or purchase of gift cards ), the employee should ask questions to help the member pause and think critically:  "What is the purpose of this transaction?" "Do you personally know the person or business you are sending money to?" "Have you ever met the...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Advice On Winning Over Gen Z In ’25

NEW YORK—As 2025 approaches the close of Q1, how can credit unions win over Gen Z? By tailoring credit rewards for a digital-first generation, a new report recommends. Gen Z is reshaping the workforce and redefining financial behaviors. As of 2024, this generation is poised to surpass Baby Boomers in workforce size and will make up 30% of the workforce by 2030. This rapid growth presents a major opportunity for financial institutions to tap into a younger, digitally native audience with distinct spending habits and financial needs, emphasized a GlobalData report authored by Zachary Johnson, specialist, campaign execution & strategy, financial services at VDX.tv. “Unlike previous generations, Gen Z’s economic journey has been shaped by inflation and delayed career starts due to the pandemic and skyrocketing living costs. These factors have made them highly dependent on credit, with Gen Zers being 23% more likely to own a credit card than Millennials at the same age, and carrying...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

‘No One Wants a New Car Now.’ WSJ Columnist Offers His Take on Why

NEW YORK–That new car smell isn’t quite the intoxicating perfume it has been for a long time, according to one automotive analyst. Under the headline, “No One Wants a New Car Now. Here’s Why,” the Wall Street Journal’s well-regarded automotive columnist, Dan Neal, observed that “America’s fleet of cars and trucks is also getting long in the tooth.” Neal’s reference was to a study by S&P Global Mobility that found the average age of vehicles in the U.S. is now 12.6 years, up more than 14 months since 2014, with the average age of passenger cars hitting14 years. All-Time High Burden “In the past, the average-age statistic was taken as a sign of transportation’s burden on household budgets,” Neal wrote. “Those burdens remain near all-time hig...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Three-Quarters of Consumers Familiar With CUs, But Just 1 in 4 Says a CU is PFI, & Other New Findings

WASHINGTON– More than three-quarters of U.S. consumers said they are familiar with credit unions and hold a positive impression, yet just one-in-four banks primarily with a credit union, a new survey has found. The 2026 Credit Union Consumer Perception Report from  CUCollaborate  surveyed 1,000 consumers across the U.S. in December 2025 to gauge their opinions on credit unions. It further found early 70% describe credit unions as trustworthy, and a majority recognize their advantages in fees and rates compared to traditional banks.  But positive sentiment is in decline with younger bankers, according to CUCollaborate. Gen Z consumers represented a sharp shift in credit union perception from older generations, the company said, noting that among those respondents, 36% indicated they had only heard the term “credit union” without having a deeper understanding or had never heard of the term at all.  Some “44% said they were somewhat familiar with credit unions, and a me...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

IRS Issues Ruling on Federal Credit Unions and COVID Credit

WASHINGTON–The Internal Revenue Service has issued a ruling that credit unions can receive a 2021 COVID Credit, but not 2020. In other words, federally chartered CUs can’t claim the employee retention credit for periods in 2020 but can do so for periods in 2021, because later amendments to the terms of the credit made them eligible, according to the IRS. Specifically, FCUs can’t claim the credit for wages paid after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2021. The ruling was issued by the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in a newly released legal  memorandum . According to the IRS, FCUs are able to claim the credit for wages paid after Dec. 31, 2020, and before Oct. 1, 2021, the IRS said. The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) – sometimes called the Empl...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Long-Stalled Credit Card Competition Act Moves Forward In Senate Clarity Act Markup

WASHINGTON—A long-stalled bipartisan push to boost competition in the credit card market moved closer to becoming law late Friday, as Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) advanced a new amendment attached to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Digital Asset Market Structure and Investor Protection Act, commonly known as the Clarity Act. Dick Durbin The amendment, a core component of the long-debated Credit Card Competition Act, would prohibit major credit-card networks and large issuing banks from enforcing network exclusivity on credit cards. Supporters argue the measure would expand transaction-routing competition, weaken the dominance of the largest payment networks, and reduce swipe fees that merchants say inflate consumer prices. The renewed momentum reflects President Trump’s recent backing of efforts to rein in credit card costs, a shift that has altered the political trajectory of legislation that has struggled to advance in prior Congresses. With Tru...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»