Conventional loans made up 69.0% of homebuyer mortgages in Q1 2024, but the bigger surprise is how many borrowers are still getting squeezed by price and rate conditions at the same time. With the 30 year fixed mortgage averaging 6.73% in 2023 and higher rates named as the main barrier by 44% of potential buyers, affordability pressures show up everywhere from purchase concessions to credit qualification. Even with delinquency easing, tight inventory marked by just 3.5 months of existing homes for sale keeps the buying pool moving fast.
Key Takeaways
- 69.0% of homebuyer mortgages were conventional (conventional fixed-rate and adjustable-rate combined) in Q1 2024, reflecting the dominant funding channel for home purchases
- In Q1 2024, 10.9% of home purchase mortgages were made with interest-only features, indicating a specific loan-structure footprint among buyers
- The national median existing-home price was $416,700 in March 2024, setting the baseline purchase hurdle for most homebuyers
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.73% in 2023, indicating elevated borrowing costs compared with the prior decade
- The U.S. homeownership rate was 65.5% in Q4 2023, framing the overall buyer pool for owner-occupancy demand
- At end of April 2024, there were 3.5 months’ supply of existing homes for sale, indicating tight market conditions for buyers
- In April 2024, the mortgage delinquency rate for loans at least 30 days past due was 3.5%, reflecting credit health affecting buyer financing access
- In FY 2023, the VA Loan Guaranty had a risk-based capital ratio of 0.11, showing the program’s ability to absorb losses affecting VA buyer lending
- In 2023, 44% of potential homebuyers said higher mortgage rates were the main barrier to buying, quantifying rate sensitivity
- 1.5% of mortgage balances had been cured from delinquency in Q1 2024, measuring the flow back to current status for distressed borrowers
- In 2023, 58% of new mortgage originations were to borrowers with FICO scores of 760+ per Experian’s mortgage credit segment reporting, measuring prime-share
- The MBA Refinance Index was 70.0 in early May 2024 (seasonally adjusted), measuring the refi application volume relative to the base period
- In 2024, 45% of mortgage applications were processed digitally end-to-end per McKinsey’s mortgage digitization analysis, measuring adoption of technology in origination affecting homebuyers
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in 2024 that mortgage servicing rules cover 12.8 million borrowers, measuring the scale of mortgage households affected by servicing obligations
- In 2023, 12% of purchase mortgages were for borrowers with debt-to-income (DTI) above 43% per Urban Institute’s HMDA underwriting capacity analyses, measuring credit-constraint prevalence
With tight inventory and rates still high, conventional loans dominate while affordability hinges on concessions.
Related reading
02 · Category
Housing Economics3 stats
01
The national median existing-home price was $416,700in March 2024, setting the baseline purchase hurdle for most homebuyers
02
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.73% in 2023, indicating elevated borrowing costs compared with the prior decade
03
The U.S. homeownership rate was 65.5% in Q4 2023, framing the overall buyer pool for owner-occupancy demand
Interpretation
Housing Economics Interpretation
With the national median existing-home price at $416,700 in March 2024 and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaging 6.73% in 2023, housing economics remain pressured by high borrowing costs even though the homeownership rate stands at 65.5% in Q4 2023.
03 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
At end of April 2024, there were 3.5 months’ supply of existing homes for sale, indicating tight market conditions for buyers
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the homebuying industry, the 3.5 months’ supply of existing homes for sale at the end of April 2024 underscores a tight market that is likely to keep pressure on buyers and support competitive conditions.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
In April 2024, the mortgage delinquency rate for loans at least 30 days past due was 3.5%, reflecting credit health affecting buyer financing access
02
In FY 2023, the VA Loan Guaranty had a risk-based capital ratio of 0.11, showing the program’s ability to absorb losses affecting VA buyer lending
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the Cost Analysis lens, credit conditions appear to remain a key cost driver as the mortgage delinquency rate sat at 3.5% for loans 30-plus days past due in April 2024, while the VA Loan Guaranty’s risk-based capital ratio of 0.11 in FY 2023 indicates the program’s ongoing capacity to absorb losses that can affect VA buyer financing access.
05 · Category
Affordability1 stats
01
In 2023, 44% of potential homebuyers said higher mortgage rates were the main barrier to buying, quantifying rate sensitivity
Interpretation
Affordability Interpretation
In 2023, 44% of potential homebuyers said higher mortgage rates were the main barrier, underscoring that affordability pressures are heavily driven by rate sensitivity.
More related reading
06 · Category
Credit & Defaults2 stats
01
1.5% of mortgage balances had been cured from delinquency in Q1 2024, measuring the flow back to current status for distressed borrowers
02
In 2023, 58% of new mortgage originations were to borrowers with FICO scores of 760+ per Experian’s mortgage credit segment reporting, measuring prime-share
Interpretation
Credit & Defaults Interpretation
From a credit and defaults perspective, only 1.5% of delinquent mortgage balances returned to current status in Q1 2024, while in 2023 58% of new originations went to prime borrowers with FICO scores of 760+, suggesting relatively limited cure among stressed accounts alongside a strong flow of new lending to high-credit customers.
07 · Category
Origination Volume2 stats
01
The MBA Refinance Index was 70.0 in early May 2024 (seasonally adjusted), measuring the refi application volume relative to the base period
02
In 2024, 45% of mortgage applications were processed digitally end-to-end per McKinsey’s mortgage digitization analysis, measuring adoption of technology in origination affecting homebuyers
Interpretation
Origination Volume Interpretation
In the origination volume category, mortgage refi applications were at a 70.0 MBA Refinance Index in early May 2024 while 45% of mortgage applications were processed digitally end-to-end in 2024, showing both steady borrower activity and growing technology-driven capacity in origination.
08 · Category
Affordability & Costs5 stats
01
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in 2024 that mortgage servicing rules cover 12.8 million borrowers, measuring the scale of mortgage households affected by servicing obligations
02
In 2023, 12% of purchase mortgages were for borrowers with debt-to-income (DTI) above 43% per Urban Institute’s HMDA underwriting capacity analyses, measuring credit-constraint prevalence
03
Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans averaged 6.70% during the week ending May 5, 2024 per Freddie Mac’s weekly survey (not repeated from prior item), measuring near-current borrowing cost level
04
Mortgage Bankers Association reported that the effective interest rate on new purchase loans was about 6.1% in early 2024, measuring the average cost for purchase originations
05
As of 2023, VA borrowers paid a funding fee of 2.3% for first-time use with no service-connected disability in most cases (per VA funding fee table), measuring upfront cost for VA homebuyers
Interpretation
Affordability & Costs Interpretation
Affordability pressures remain widespread in the housing market, with 12% of purchase mortgages going to borrowers whose debt-to-income exceeds 43% and new-purchase borrowing costs clustering around 6.1% to 6.7% in early May 2024, while upfront burdens also persist for some buyers such as first-time VA homebuyers paying a 2.3% funding fee.
09 · Category
Buyer Profile2 stats
01
In 2024, 11% of purchase mortgages included seller concessions as a percent of home sale price per ATTOM transaction data summaries, measuring reliance on concessions to offset closing costs
02
In 2024, 24% of purchase contracts in major metros involved a credit/seller concession in lieu of price reductions per Redfin analyses, measuring negotiating patterns impacting buyer affordability
Interpretation
Buyer Profile Interpretation
In the buyer profile data, 11% of purchase mortgages in 2024 used seller concessions to help offset closing costs and 24% of purchase contracts in major metros included a credit in lieu of price cuts, showing that negotiating concessions remained a common affordability strategy.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Homebuyer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homebuyer-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Homebuyer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/homebuyer-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Homebuyer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homebuyer-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)