DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.
Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/1542096
69 December 2025 J O U R N A L themortgagepoint.com December 2025 » • Gen Z: The most likely to experience remorse (only about a quarter, 27%, had no regrets). Gen Z cited skipping inspections, higher ownership costs, and household spending as top post-purchase concerns. Additionally, younger generations were more likely to regret neighbor- hood choices and commute distances, highlighting the increasing difficulty of striking a balance between affordability, lifestyle, and location in today's expen- sive housing market. "Buyers today are entering the market with clearer expectations and stronger financial footing," Eddy added. "Even though affordability remains a challenge, the slower pace has allowed people to make decisions that feel right for them, and that's reflected in lower regret levels across the board." The results of the report indicate a substantial change in consumer psychology. Higher borrowing costs and slower market conditions in many regions seem to have introduced more consideration and confidence in decisions, whereas a hot sellers' market and low loan rates earlier drove hurried decisions and quick offers. NEW HOME LISTINGS RISE TOWARD PRE- PANDEMIC LEVELS A ccording to new data from First American, home sales are still slow after a protracted period of muted activity, with the rate of sales still hovering around 4 million yearly. The Existing-Home Sales Outlook predicts a little increase in October since demand is still high, but transactions have been hampered by a lack of supply and issues with affordability. The slight improvement on the supply side is one cause for cautious optimism. One of the market's most persistent bottlenecks has been addressed as new listings have grown yearly and approached pre-pan- demic levels. Why revisit pre-pandemic levels? Demand, supply, and mortgage rates were more balanced in the years before 2020, which provides a fair baseline for what "normal" looked like. The degree to which the housing market has recovered from the pandem- ic-era distortions—characterized by a super seller's market, rate shocks, and skyrocketing prices—followed by the following downturn can be determined by comparing the activity of the market today with that of the 2018–2019 period. There is an obvious positive correlation between the two: sales typically increase as new listings approach normal. "This dynamic offers some opti- mism for 2026. As more homeowners list, more buyers will have opportuni- ties to purchase, moving the market Regrets Experienced After Purchasing a Home Response All home- buyers Gen Z (18–28) Millennials (29–44) Gen X (45–60) Boomers (61–79) There is more home main- tenance than anticipated (e.g., money, time, etc.) 16 % 11 % 16 % 12 % 15 % I had to spend more on household items than anticipated 15 % 12 % 13 % 12 % 12 % My savings account is empty 14 % 9 % 15 % 10 % 6 % The cost of ownership is higher than anticipated 11%(↓ -5pp) 12 % 11 % 10 % 9 % Concern about rising interest rates impacting my future mortgage payments 10 % 11 % 12 % 9 % 3 % The home was not in the condition I expected 9 % 10 % 10 % 9 % 8 % I rushed into the decision 9 % 9 % 10 % 8 % 6 % The house is too small 9 % 10 % 9 % 10 % 6 % Additional Factors of Buyer Regret Experienced After Purchasing Response All home- buyers Gen Z (18–28) Millennials (29–44) Gen X (45–60) Boomers (61–79) I paid too much for the home 8% (-7 pp) 10 % 9 % 7 % 7 % I wish I had done an inspection(s) 8 % 12 % 9 % 6 % 4 % I wish I had asked for buyer contingencies 8 % 8 % 9 % 9 % 3 % I didn't consider the external environment (e.g., noise, traffic, etc.) 8% (+4 pp) 10 % 8 % 9 % 1 % I settled for house that didn't fit my needs 8 % 10 % 7 % 7 % 4 % The home is too far from work 8 % 11 % 8 % 3 % 2 % I don't like my neighbors 7 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 4 % The house is too big 6 % 4 % 8 % 5 % 1 % I don't like my neighbor- hood 4 % 10 % 5 % 4 % 2 %