Renters value homeownership but face affordability challenges when it comes to buying a home, C.A.R. survey finds

Source: C.A.R.
Current renters value homeownership and want to buy a home but many are encountering affordability and financial obstacles that prevent them from buying, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2016 Renter Survey.

Making sense of the story
•  Nearly half of renters (48 percent) plan to buy a home in the future, with 10 percent saying that they plan to buy within a year.

•  For those not planning to buy, an improvement in finances, lower housing prices, and saving enough for a down payment would motivate them to buy now.

•  Of the 28 percent of renters who don’t plan to buy in the future, 50 percent said they can’t afford to buy, 20 percent will not buy because they prefer to rent, 19 percent said they can’t qualify for a mortgage, and 15 percent lack a down payment.

•  Job uncertainty (9 percent), economic uncertainty (12 percent), and housing market uncertainty (6 percent) were among other reasons renters cited for not buying a home.

•  Homeownership remains important to renters, with nearly half (45 percent) rating it 8 or higher in importance on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely important. The average was 6.8.

•  Nearly all renters (95 percent) see advantages to homeownership; freedom to do what you want with your home, building equity, and having permanence and stability were the top benefits mentioned by renters.

•  One of the surprising findings of this survey is that more than one in four millennial renters said they plan to purchase a home that will accommodate their parents, and about one in five millennials indicated they plan to pool funds with family members to buy a home.