MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Home maintenance is a financial balancing act for many Americans. According to a LendingTree survey, a third of homeowners have put off needed repairs in the past two years. Some say those delays have increased repair costs or caused further damage to their homes.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Homeownership has never been cheap, but keeping a house in good shape is getting noticeably pricier. This LendingTree research finds that the typical home improvement project costs about three-quarters more than it did a decade ago, even after accounting for inflation. Add in rising routine maintenance costs — especially for older homes — and it’s clear that budgeting for home upkeep is just as important as budgeting for the mortgage itself.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Nearly 11 million Gen Z adults in the U.S. — about 1 in 4 — moved to another state or the District of Columbia in 2024. LendingTree’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found that 23.9% of Gen Z adults moved across state lines in 2024 — the most recent year for which data were available. That’s a far higher share than for any other age group. South Carolina led the nation with a net gain of 22,843 Gen Zers in 2024, while California had the largest net loss.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Homeownership has always come with costs beyond the mortgage payment itself, but for many Americans, those costs are climbing faster than they can keep up with. This LendingTree survey finds that half of mortgage holders have seen their monthly payments rise in the past two years, and most had no idea it was coming. Here’s a closer look.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | A good mortgage rate can make a massive difference. Those with the lowest rates see serious savings in interest over the life of their loan. That means more money to save and invest. So, who is landing rock-bottom rates? According to this LendingTree study, borrowers who have the lowest mortgage rates tend to have stronger credit, larger down payments and more lender offers to choose from. They’re also less likely to be first-time buyers.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | AI is quickly working its way into the homebuying process, but that doesn’t mean Americans are ready to hand over the keys entirely. This survey of 2,001 U.S. consumers finds that while most people would use AI for at least one task along the way, they still want a human involved when the stakes are highest. At the same time, a significant share of buyers say they’re open to a home built by very different technology — a 3D printer — though real hesitations remain there, too.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | The American dream of homeownership endures, but newly built homes are getting smaller. The average size of new single-family homes sold nationwide declined by 11.6% over the past decade, from 2,724 square feet in 2015 to 2,409 square feet in 2025. Yet buyers are paying more per square foot: The average price per square foot surged 71.9% during the same period. While builders are increasingly constructing smaller homes, regional trends tell a more nuanced story. Here’s a closer look at how new-home sizes and costs have changed across the U.S.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Towns have a reputation for being quieter, slower and, perhaps most importantly, more affordable than cities. But when it comes to buying a home, that perception doesn’t always hold true. A LendingTree analysis found that some U.S. towns have some of the country’s highest housing values. In Nantucket, Mass., for example, the median home value is nearly $1.6 million — higher than in San Jose, Calif., the nation’s most expensive major metro.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Buying a home (especially for the first time) has always felt high-stakes, but a LendingTree survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers suggests buyers may feel additional pressure as home surveillance becomes more common. A significant 56% of recent home sellers say recording devices were active during their most recent home sale or listing, and buyers are noticing. However, that awareness appears to influence buyer behavior, potentially adding another layer of stress to an already high-pressure process.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Gen Z mortgage shoppers in the nation’s 50 largest metros plan to put down far less than any other generation, according to an analysis of more than 130,000 mortgage purchase inquiries submitted through the LendingTree platform. However, not all younger shoppers plan to put down less. Millennials join baby boomers, the oldest generation in our analysis, in planning to make the largest down payments of any age group across the nation’s largest metros. Planned down payments also vary widely by metro, with Gen Z shoppers in two locations planning to make six-figure down payments.