With housing affordability squeezing buyers, a new survey is revealing that some homebuyers are feeling discouraged. Bankrate published its 2025 Aspiring Home Buyers Survey, which surveyed more than 2,300 adults last month. Sales of existing homes rose slightly in July in the United States following a modest decrease in mortgage interest rates. "Prices have gone up significantly since COVID," he said, adding, "Interest rates have gone up significantly since COVID. RELATED: Fed cuts key interest rate, signals two more this yearFed officials also signaled that they expect to reduce their key rate twice more this year, but just once in 2026.