“But that’s the one thing getting in the way when you are in homeownership. It’s worth seeing what’s out there and what you can qualify for and your personal financial situation, because you might not need to put a big down payment down in order to get the home.”

The survey was carried out early last December, before the latest round of rate hikes – a point not missed on Renter, who said that mortgage professionals could help their customers here as well.

“A lot of buyers understand how mortgage rates affect their loan in theory, but they don’t necessarily know what it means in practice, and mortgage professionals can really play a role there and say ‘yes, you may have to reduce your home budget’,” she said.

“Really showing them how less than a percentage point in additional interest can make a difference and what that means for them on their monthly payment, or over the life of the loan, could really help borrowers out.”

The survey found that about one-third (34%) of Americans said they felt better about their ability to purchase a home in 2022 compared with last year, with personal finances such as more savings and more income cited as the top reasons.