More Buyers Are Ready to Act, and They're Not Waiting for the Market to Change

August 18, 2026

COLUMBIA, Mo - Prospective homebuyers are entering the second half of 2026 feeling optimistic about their personal finances and their path to homeownership, according to findings from the Q2 State of Mind Survey from Veterans United Home Loans.

The quarterly research found that homebuyer purchase plans and personal financial confidence trended upward this quarter, continuing a pattern of growing readiness among prospective buyers heading into the second half of 2026.

“Buyers aren’t waiting for the market to feel perfect,” said Chris Birk, vice president of mortgage insight at Veterans United Home Loans. “They’re feeling better about their finances, finding ways to navigate affordability challenges and moving forward on timelines that work for them. That growing sense of readiness is helping turn homeownership from a long-term goal into a more immediate plan.”

Homebuyers are Growing Confident About Their Finances

Homebuyers are feeling better about their finances. Prospective buyers who feel stressed about their finances fell to 26%, while 49% say they feel at ease. Future optimism also held firm, with 65% of buyers expecting to be personally better off a year from now.

Veteran and service member respondents are feeling strong about their finances this quarter. The share who feel stressed fell to 19%, down eight points from last quarter, while 54% say they feel at ease. That confidence is carrying over into homebuying readiness with 68% saying that buying a home feels within reach, and 47% say they would rather buy now and refinance later.

Civilian respondents are showing mixed signals. Financial stress among civilians rose eight points in the second quarter, with just 38% saying they feel at ease about their finances. Even so, civilian future optimism held steady, with 62% expecting to be better off personally a year from now.

Homebuyers Plan to Buy Sooner Than Later

Among prospective homebuyers, 73% plan to purchase within the next year, up slightly compared to last quarter, and 62% say buying a home feels within reach. Four in ten (41%) say they would rather buy now and refinance later than wait for conditions to improve.

Among all buyers planning to purchase in the next year, 19% intend to buy within the next three months. The seven to twelve month window grew to 37%, up from 34% a year ago, indicating strong and sustained near-term commitment to buying.

Veterans and service members are moving on a faster timeline than their civilian counterparts. Veterans and service members (43%) plan to purchase within the next six months, compared to civilian buyers (22%).

Use of AI Tools

Artificial Intelligence has become a common part of the homebuying process for prospective homebuyers, with nearly half (45%) of all prospective buyers saying they have used AI to assist with buying a home, up from 40% in the first quarter. The most common uses for AI among buyers were checking property values (41%), learning about housing trends (36%) and searching for homes by inputting specific criteria (32%).

Among Veterans and service members who use AI, 52% use it for savings planning and 38% for credit improvement guidance, compared with 46% and 34% of civilian buyers, respectively. Across both groups, buyers view AI as a complement to human expertise rather than a replacement, with 77% agreeing it should serve as a supporting tool rather than the primary decision-maker in the homebuying process.

While affordability and market conditions continue to shape the homebuying landscape, the latest State of Mind Survey suggests prospective buyers are becoming increasingly optimistic about their ability to achieve homeownership.

To learn more about the report and methodology visit: https://www.veteransunited.com/education/homebuyers-ready-to-buy-veterans-leading-way/