High Interest Rates: Millennials' Leading Home Hurdle
Of millennials, 96% say high interest rates have affected their home-buying plans, and 70% say inflation has affected their plans, a recent survey found.
ST. LOUIS – Of millennials, 93% say the real estate market has impacted their home-buying plans, and 76% are concerned it will get worse for buyers before they buy a home, according to new research from Real Estate Witch, an online publication owned by Clever Real Estate.
Half of millennials (50%) who plan to buy a home before the end of 2024 say high interest rates are a barrier to homeownership, and 67% regret not purchasing a home when rates were lower.
More than 3 in 4 millennial home buyers (78%) would consider accepting an interest rate that's higher than the national rate of about 7%, 65% would accept an interest rate of 10% or more, while 23% would accept a rate of 15% or more.
Ninty-six percent of millennials say high interest rates have affected their home-buying plans, and 70% say inflation has affected their plans. Millennials may be willing to accept a high interest rate because 68% plan to refinance if rates decrease.
In an effort to limit upfront costs, 47% of millennials plan to put down less than 20% on a home. Financial concerns run rampant, with one in four millennials (25%) worrying they won't qualify for a mortgage. The percentage of millennials who have $10,000 in debt (57%) is more than double the percentage who have $10,000 in savings (25%).
The study revealed many prospective millennial homebuyers are open to purchasing homes with major issues such as asbestos (67%), mold (62%) and foundation issues (58%).
Even more, 79% of millennials would pay above the asking price to beat the competition for their dream home — down from 85% who said the same in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, 90% of millennial homeowners have regrets about their first home purchase, up from 82% in 2023. Common regrets include a less-than-ideal location (27%), problematic neighbors (26%) and high interest rates (25%).
For the study, Real Estate Witch researchers asked 1,000 Americans who are planning to purchase a home by the end of 2024 about their plans, anxieties and compromises they’re willing to make. This data was compared to previous years to provide a clear snapshot of millennials’ home-buying experience and the obstacles that stand in their way in 2024.
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