Americans believe it's the worst time ever to buy a house

A record share of Americans believes it's a bad time to buy a house, according to a Gallup survey released Tuesday morning. The percentage hasn't been this high since Gallup started asking the question in 1978.

The big picture: The decision to buy a house is personal, and dependent on one's own finances and location, of course — still, the survey respondents have a point.

• Home prices have increased by an astonishing amount over the past three years: The median sale price of a U.S. home was up 32% in the first quarter of 2023 from the first quarter of 2020, per census data.
• Meanwhile, mortgage rates have soared.
• Oh, and did we mention the lack of available inventory, as current homeowners feel locked into their legacy low mortgage rates and are reluctant to sell?

Zoom out: Until 2022, a majority of Americans have told Gallup it was a good time to buy — even through the housing boom and bust of 2005-2008.

• That changed last year as mortgage rates started to rise. Only 30% of Americans said it was a good time to buy in 2022 — a 23-point drop from the year before.
• That the number fell even more in 2023 is striking. Now only 21% of Americans think it's a good time to buy.

But, but, but: When Gallup asks people what they think is the best long-term investment, real estate still tops the list, said Jeff Jones, senior editor of the Gallup poll.

• "With a longer view, people still endorse real estate."