31% of Americans Are Rooting for a Housing Market Crash in 2026 [LendingTree Report]

Lending Tree surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. consumers about the state of the nation’s housing market. We found that the possibility of homeownership has gotten so far out of reach for many Americans that they’re even rooting for the housing market to crash so they can afford to buy. Here's what else we found.  36% of Americans believe the housing market is at risk of crashing in the next year, and 31% say they’re rooting for a crash — including 59% of Gen Zers. 27% of non-homeowners believe a housing market crash is the only way they could afford to buy a home.  High home prices (45%) and high mortgage rates (35%) are among Americans’ most common worries about the housing market. Other worries include increasing property taxes (38%) and the broader economic impact (30%).  More than half (52%) don’t think mortgage rates will ever return to 2020 lows, while 55% expect home prices to keep climbing over the next year. 56% believe President Donald Trump won’t be good for the housing market in 2026 — including 62% of women. 35% of homeowners say higher mortgage rates make them hesitant to buy again, including 62% of Gen Z homeowners. At the same time, 29% of Americans — and 46% of Gen Z — would consider a 50-year mortgage to make a purchase work this year. You can check out the full report here: https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/housing-market-crash-survey/ LendingTree's Chief Consumer Finance Analyst, Matt Schulz, had this to say:   “When people start rooting for a housing crash, it’s usually not about wanting chaos. It’s about feeling shut out. For many Americans, today’s housing market feels stretched to the breaking point. Prices are high, borrowing costs are elevated, and property taxes aren’t helping. That combination has shrunk people’s margin for error and left would-be buyers wondering how they’ll ever get in. Rooting for a reset is often less about pessimism and more about frustration with affordability."