High Prices Keep Homeowners Locked in Current Residences, Survey Shows

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-10-18

A national survey reveals that affordability challenges and high housing costs are forcing a majority of residential property owners to delay moving.

Elevated real estate prices and broader housing market affordability challenges remain the primary factors keeping current property owners from selling or relocating, according to data released in a new industry survey.

The survey found that 42 percent of homeowners cite current property valuations and elevated costs as key reasons for remaining in their existing residences. Respondents indicated that high purchase prices for alternative properties, combined with overall cost-of-living pressures, have made moving financially impractical under present market conditions.

Despite remaining in their current locations, a substantial segment of residential owners expressed a desire to change residences under better economic circumstances. The data shows that 38 percent of respondents would actively seek to move if general real estate conditions, interest rates, and overall market stability were to improve.

The persistence of high valuations has contributed to a broader stagnation in residential real estate turnover. Property owners who secured lower mortgage rates in previous years face financial disincentives to trade up or downsize in an environment marked by higher borrowing costs and elevated list prices.

Consequently, the reluctance of existing owners to list their properties continues to restrict overall housing inventory. This supply constraint further exacerbates price pressures across local real estate sectors, creating ongoing hurdles for both current homeowners and prospective first-time buyers nationwide.