Boomers are far more likely than any other group to be aware of price increases. When prices go up, they cut back on non-essential items and avoid impulse buys, with just 53% succumbing to them.
Cruze explained: "The big checkmarks of can you just go spend money, number one, do you have it? Number two, financially, are you in a place that that money would be better spent in the present, meaning like getting you ahead financially, which would be to pay off debt or have an emergency fund? You have those, so check, check."
Riccardo and Simone Bertagna bought a 25% stake in a property valued at 440,000 through a housing association, feeling proud and accomplished. However, they later faced significant issues, including rising service charges and maintenance problems, which left them feeling trapped in an unsellable home.
The February PAPI declined over the month and is nearly 10% lower than a year ago, reflecting both reduced payments and steady income growth, Edward Seiler said. While affordability conditions remain challenging in many markets, these incremental gains felt across more than half of states are an encouraging sign for prospective buyers, particularly those seeking lower-payment options.
Ginsburg stated that treating builder business as a core pillar rather than a side channel reflects a broader industry shift. He believes a healthy balance of builders should be around 15% to 20% of the overall retail book of business.
HousingWire's 2026 Rising Stars honor industry leaders age 40 and under who are making an impact across mortgage, real estate and homebuilding. The honorees represent a range of roles and are recognized for driving innovation, supporting their organizations and contributing to broader industry progress.
They have strong demand for the American dream of homeownership, but they're really just feeling left behind right now, Jessica Lautz, the deputy chief economist at NAR, said of first-time buyers. Homeownership is a way that many Americans build wealth and unfortunately they're just being pushed to the sidelines for a longer period of time and losing out on those wealth gains. They're also thinking about unique ways to enter into homeownership.
Financially, the American dream should not be homeownership, but should be financial independence, Robert Johnson, CEO of Economic Index Associates and a professor at Creighton University, said in the report. People fall prey to the stories of individuals realizing substantial gains by buying a home and selling it at a much higher price years down the road. He noted that nearly 29% of household wealth was tied to home equity in 2021, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Despite challenges like continued margin pressure and housing inventory constraints, the report said that brokerage leaders remain optimistic, adding that the 2026 results mark a shift from the uncertainty recorded in previous years. The 2026 outlook shows confidence has not faded. It has hardened, Minard said. Brokerage leaders now expect growth while staying focused on pricing pressure, margins, and execution.
Realtor Todd Luong of REMAX DFW Associates in Frisco said his recent experience reflects meaningful improvement for buyers, even if affordability remains strained. Here in the Dallas real estate market that I serve, affordability remains a challenge, he says. However, there is a significant amount of data showing that buyer conditions have improved over the past year and that buyers are gaining affordability ground. This should eventually increase housing demand to some degree as we head into the busy spring buying season.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rents have jumped nearly 28% in past five years. Companies such as Flex, Livble and, more recently, Affirm, say breaking rent into multiple payments can help renters manage cash flow. But consumer advocates warn the products typically function like short-term loans, layering fees onto already strained budgets and, in some cases, carrying triple-digit effective interest rates - raising questions about whether they ease financial pressure or deepen it.
