First-Time Millennial Homebuyers Optimistic About Housing Market, Overwhelmed by Process, Finds TD Bank Survey

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As first-time homebuyers prepare to dive into the housing market this year, three in four (75%) admit they're overwhelmed by the process, according to TD Bank's First-Time Homebuyer Pulse. Nevertheless, two-thirds (68%) believe it's a good time to buy a home, and 52% are already actively searching home listings online.

TD Bank surveyed more than 850 millennials (age 23-38) planning to buy their first home in 2020 to uncover their feelings around the purchase process, the greatest influences on their home buying plans, and how their perceptions and behaviors are shaped by what they've observed in the housing market of the past and present.

Despite an intent to purchase in the next 12 months, many buyers have not taken steps to prepare financially. Just half (52%) said they have started saving for a down payment and 53% have reviewed their credit report. What's more, 42% said they have established a budget for their home purchase, but only 30% have spoken with a mortgage lender.

"It continues to amaze me how many buyers begin their home search without first speaking with a mortgage lender," said Rick Bechtel, Head of U.S. Residential Lending at TD Bank. "A knowledgeable loan officer will work hand-in-hand with a buyer to help them understand mortgage and homeownership costs and establish a realistic budget. To put the cart before the horse is to pursue a significant life decision with possibly incomplete or inaccurate information."

When homebuyers are ready to start the financing process, 52% say they would prefer to start their mortgage application in person with a lender, while 34% prefer the online channel.

Despite Prime Purchase Market, Affordability Remains a Road Block

Although millennial buyers believe it's a good time to buy, many feel priced out of the market. One in five (22%) said steep home prices in the neighborhood where they want to live has prevented them from purchasing a home to date, and a third (36%) of those respondents thought homes were overpriced. Furthermore, 17% of buyers said they have yet to buy a home because they enjoy renting in their current neighborhood, but can't afford to buy there.

Buyers' perceptions of the housing market are also shaped by their current living situations ? whether at home with their parents (19%) or in rentals (78%). As many as 70% of buyers agreed their expectations for their first home are higher because of the amenities they have where they currently live, and a majority would prefer to delay the purchase of a home until they find the ideal place (84%).

Shockwaves from 2008 Housing Crisis Linger in Buyers' Minds

Despite their relatively young age at the time of the housing crisis, many millennial buyers are acutely aware of its impact; 67% of respondents are familiar with the housing crisis, and among that group more than half (55%) said their family or a family they knew lost their home. Further, 47% said growing up during the crisis has made them more nervous to purchase a home, and 70% said they view the housing market as fragile.

As such, many millennial buyers indicated stability in their personal and professional lives is a prerequisite to buying a home. Buyers said they are worried about their job stability (51%) and the stability of their relationship with their significant other (35%) when thinking about the homebuying process. Looking outward, top worries included the state of the economy (57%) and potential changes in policies due to the 2020 election (47%).

Homebuyers Tap into Parental Support, Guidance

Parents are playing a large role in their children's homebuying process, from doling out advice to providing temporary housing and financial support.

More than a third (37%) of buyers said they regularly ask their parents for advice about homebuying, and nearly half (49%) said their parents are chipping in by contributing to a down payment, closing costs, monthly payments or co-signing the loan. Notably, 85% of buyers who said their families lost their home during the 2008 housing crisis said they will receive financial help from their parents.

"The millennial cohort of homebuyers is unlike any other in history," said Bechtel. "They grew up during the explosion of personal technology, the fall of the housing market and the renaissance of the rental market. And as our survey found, their expectations of homeownership are shaped by all of it."

For more information about TD's First-Time Homebuyer Pulse, please visit TD's Digital News Center. 

Survey Methodology

An online questionnaire of 10 - 15 minutes in length was administered to millennials (ages 23-38) who are looking to buy their first home in 2020. A random sample of 862 respondents considering to buy a house in 2020 would have a margin of error of +/-3% nineteen times out of twenty. These samples are targeted convenience samples. The data was weighted by gender and region. 

About MARU

Maru/Matchbox is a professional services firm dedicated to improving its clients' business outcomes. It delivers its services through teams of sector-specific research consultants that have technology in their DNA, specializing in the use of Insight Community and Voice of Market technology. Maru/Matchbox research drives decision-making across all aspects of customer experience, including innovation, product, branding, commercialization and communications

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank^®

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth^®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us.

SOURCE TD Bank