Can’t Afford a Home Today? What Happens If Nothing Changes?

Picture a couple sitting at their kitchen table, looking at homes online.

They both work hard. They pay their bills. They would love a backyard, a place to make their own, and the stability of owning a home.

Then they look at the estimated monthly payment.

“Maybe next year,” they say.

That is understandable. Sometimes waiting is the right financiaconversation happening next year—and the year after that.

Their lease renews. Their savings barely change. The credit card balances remal decision. But imagine that same in. They still don’t know what would make buying possible.

Time has passed, but their position hasn’t improved.

This is a hypothetical story, but it raises a real question: If buying feels out of reach today, what are you doing to make it more achievable tomorrow?

What Housing Experts Expect

The Q3 2026 Fannie Mae Home Price Expectations Survey, conducted by Pulsenomics, gathered responses from 114 experts. Their average projections called for national home prices to rise approximately:

These are national expectations, not guarantees for an individual home or a North Texas neighborhood. The survey also indicated the possibility of a price pullback during the second half of 2026. Prices can decline even when the longer-term outlook points upward.

To put the longer-term figures in perspective, suppose a home costs $350,000 at the end of 2026.

Applying those projected annual increases would put its price at approximately $391,300 by the end of 2030—about $41,300 higher.

That is an illustration, not a prediction for a particular property. But it shows how even modest growth can move the target over time.

Whether that home becomes harder to afford also depends on your income, savings, debts, and future mortgage rates.

What Happens If You Keep Renting?

Renting provides a place to live, flexibility, and fewer responsibilities for major repairs. It can be a smart choice while you strengthen your finances.

But renting without a plan can become an indefinite holding pattern.

At $2,000 a month, four years of rent totals $96,000, even with no increases.

That money purchased housing. It was not “wasted.” However, those payments did not build ownership in the property.

Buying has costs that don’t build equity either: mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and transaction costs. A fair comparison includes all of them, along with what a renter could save or invest by spending less each month.

Rent increases are another consideration. Zillow’s September 2026 forecast projected national single-family rent growth of 2.9% for the year. That doesn’t mean your next renewal will increase by that amount, but it illustrates why assuming rent will remain unchanged can be risky.

You Don’t Have to Buy Today to Make Progress Today

If a mortgage payment would leave you struggling to cover groceries, childcare, or emergencies, forcing a purchase is the wrong move.

Instead, identify what is standing between you and a sustainable purchase.

Is it your credit? Monthly debt payments? Cash for closing? Documenting your income? Or a home search that needs a different price range or location?

Each obstacle requires a different plan.

“Keep saving” is vague. “Reduce this monthly debt payment, build this cash reserve, and review your position in six months” gives you something to work toward.

A useful plan starts with:

• A housing budget that includes taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

• A review of your credit, income, debts, and available cash.

• Specific steps to address the biggest obstacles.

• A date to check your progress.

Waiting can help when you use that time to improve your position. It can hurt when you simply hope the market will solve the problem.

Start With a Conversation

You don’t need to be ready to make an offer to ask questions.

My goal is to help you understand where you stand, what may be possible, and what needs work—even if purchasing is months or years away.

Before another lease renewal arrives, let’s build a homebuying plan around your actual numbers.

Mark Crunk | NMLS #2267612
Barrett Financial Group, L.L.C. | NMLS #181106
970-829-2437 | mcrunk@barrettfinancial.com
markcrunk.com