More than half of American homeowners have no intention of selling their properties in 2025, regardless of where mortgage rates land, deepening a housing crisis that threatens to lock an entire generation of renters out of homeownership indefinitely.
A Bankrate survey shows 54% of US homeowners wouldn't feel comfortable selling at any mortgage rate in 2025, up 12 percentage points from last year. An equal proportion of property owners, 51%, indicate they would be reluctant to purchase a different property. The results reveal a housing sector gripped by what economic experts term the 'lock-in effect'—where homeowners remain anchored to low mortgage rates secured during the pandemic, while prospective buyers are left unable to enter the market.
