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Homebuyer Challenges Rise: New Index Tracks Cost, Availability, and Difficulty

  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2026/02/2 .. dex-tracks-cost-availability-and-difficulty.html
  Published in House and Home on Sunday, February 22nd 2026 at 3:40 GMT by nbcnews.com
      Locales: Not specified - National Data, Texas, California, Florida, New York, UNITED STATES

cost, availability, and difficulty to provide a comprehensive view of the challenges faced by prospective homeowners.

Understanding the Index Components

The power of the US Home Buyer Index lies in its multi-faceted approach. Each component is carefully weighted to reflect its impact on the overall home-buying experience:

• Cost: This factor encompasses not only the sticker price of homes but also the often-volatile realm of mortgage rates. Rising interest rates significantly increase the total cost of borrowing, putting homeownership further out of reach for budget-conscious buyers. Even modest increases in rates can translate to hundreds of dollars more per month, effectively pricing many out of the market.
• Availability: The simple economics of supply and demand are at play here. A historically low inventory of homes for sale means increased competition among buyers, driving up prices and creating bidding wars. The lack of available properties limits choices and forces buyers to compromise on their desired features or location.
• Difficulty: This component acknowledges that simply finding a home and affording it aren't the only hurdles. The mortgage application process itself can be complex and stringent, requiring excellent credit, substantial down payments, and extensive documentation. Competition also fuels difficulty; homes often receive multiple offers, making it harder to secure a purchase.

Tracking the Trend: A Year of Declining Feasibility

The data compiled by NBC News and Qualtrics reveals a consistent downward trend over the past year (March 2023 - February 2024). The index, initially registering at 42.0 in March 2023, steadily climbed through the summer months, peaking at 45.6 in January 2024, but still remains significantly below levels indicative of a healthy, accessible housing market. While there were slight fluctuations, the overall trend shows increasing challenges for potential homebuyers. The data specifically shows a consistent rise in the 'Cost' and 'Difficulty' metrics, while 'Availability' remains stubbornly low, hovering around the 37-38 range. This suggests that even when people can find a home, affording it and securing a mortgage are becoming major obstacles. A score of 100 represents an exceptionally easy market, while a score of 0 signifies an impossible one - the current index readings suggest the situation is trending toward the latter.

Source: NBC News/Qualtrics

Methodological Rigor

The US Home Buyer Index isn't based on abstract economic modeling; it's grounded in real-world experiences. Each month, the survey gathers responses from over 500 Americans, providing a statistically significant snapshot of current buyer sentiment. Crucially, the data is carefully weighted to accurately reflect the demographic makeup of the US population, ensuring the index is representative and reliable. The index's simplicity - an average of the three core categories, each scored on a 1-100 scale - allows for clear and concise interpretation, making it a valuable tool for policymakers, economists, and potential homebuyers alike.

Looking ahead to 2026, and beyond, addressing the issues highlighted by the US Home Buyer Index will be critical. Without intervention, the dream of homeownership will continue to slip away for a growing segment of the American population.