Processing ContentIn research conducted by buy-before-you-sell firm HomeLight, 46% of loan officers said an inadequate supply of affordable entry-level starter homes represented the biggest impediment keeping qualified borrowers from purchasing today. Meanwhile, mortgage rates were only selected by a 14% share of LOs. Still, the effect of lower mortgage rates did not go unrecognized, with some respondents noting they would trigger interest among current homeowners to potentially move, boosting available inventory. While affordability challenges remain a dominant trend, more than one-third, or 38%, of loan officers think broad economic uncertainty will become the defining theme for the rest of 2026. Forty-seven percent of loan officers pointed to auto loans as the leading type of debt keeping their customers from qualifying.