AUSTIN – (By Dale King, Realty News Report) – You’ve moved in. Your furniture arrived. You’ve been driving to work from your new home for four or five days.
Then, the dark cloud of doubt creeps in.
Oh, no! Did I pay too much for this house?
This 28-year-old house is going to be a money pit for repairs.
I hate this neighborhood and the roar from the nearby freeway traffic never stops.
New research from Realtor.com shows that 37% of homebuyers have no regrets about the house they bought recently.
However, most buyers – some 63% – have regrets about their new home, which represents their biggest transaction ever.
16 Common Regrets from Homebuyers
The No. 1 post-purchase regret – expressed by 16% of recent buyers – was that the purchased home requires “more maintenance than anticipated,” involving both time and money.
The No. 2 regret, expressed by 15% of all buyers, involved spending “more on household items than anticipated.”
Other areas where excessive grumbling and regret festers included:
No. 3, “My savings account is empty,” 14%
No. 4, “Cost of ownership is higher than expected,” 11%, down from 16%
No. 5, Concern about the impact of rising mortgage rates, 10%
No. 6, “Home not in expected condition,” 9%
No. 7, “I rushed into decision,” 9%
No. 8, “House is too small,” 9%
No. 9, “Paid too much,” 8%
No. 10, “Needed more inspections,” 8%
No. 11, “Needed more contingencies,” 8%
No. 12, “Didn’t consider traffic, noise, etc.,” 8%
No. 13, “Too long a commute,” 8%
No. 14, “Don’t like the neighbors,” 7%
No. 15, “House is too big,” 6%
No. 16, “Don’t like neighborhood,” 4%
One of the most common sources of post-purchase remorse – the sense that a buyer paid too much for his or her home – has dropped dramatically among U.S. home purchasers, falling from 15% in 2023 to just 8% in 2025, says Realtor.com’s 2025 Consumer Attitudes & Usage Study.
“This decline demonstrates how buyers are now entering the home purchase arena more cautiously and deliberately in today’s more affordable, less-intense housing market,” the report says. As a result, home purchasers reap the benefits of more confident decision-making when choices are made in the light of patience rather than haste.
More buyers have ‘no regrets’
The Realtor.com report shows that in 2025, nearly four in 10 buyers (37%) reported having no regrets about their dwelling acquisition – up six percentage points from the 31% who were remorse-free in 2023.
With homes sitting on the market an average of 63 days in October 2025 – nearly two weeks (13 days) longer than in October of 2023 – the slower pace has given buyers more time to deliberate about their decisions.
“As the market has shifted from a fast-paced sellers’ market to one that gives buyers more breathing room, we’re seeing buyer regret trend downward,” said Laura Eddy, Realtor.com’s vice president of research and insights.
“Today’s buyers are generally more qualified, taking extra time to consider their options and make confident decisions – factors that are helping reduce second-guessing after purchase.”
Overall, says the report, the more poised and positive approach to home buying seems to reduce many levels of post-purchase grousing.
Generational divide
The report highlights a stark generational attitude divide. Baby boomers were the most satisfied buyers while the folks in Gen Z faced the highest level of remorse.
The level of regret varied sharply by age, emphasizing how experience and the home buyer’s stage of life influence the level of post-purchase satisfaction.
Older buyers were the most confident while younger buyers, particularly first-timers, were more likely to encounter surprises.
The report found the following:
- Boomers: 60% reported no regrets at all, citing only minor concerns like home maintenance or higher-than-expected household costs.
- Gen X: 45% reported no regrets, with top issues echoing Boomers – maintenance and budget strain.
- Millennials: Just over one-third (34%) had no regrets. Their biggest challenges were emptying savings (the highest among all generations), higher maintenance costs and unexpected household expenses.
- Gen Z: The most likely to experience remorse (only about a quarter, 27%, had no regrets). Gen Z cited such misgivings as skipping inspections, higher ownership costs and household spending as top post-purchase concerns.
- All buyers: 37 percent had no regrets, up 6%.
More informed buyers emerge
The findings in the report point to a significant shift in buyer psychology. Where a hot seller’s market and low interest rates once fueled rushed decisions and fast offers, higher borrowing costs and slower market conditions appear to have introduced greater deliberation and confidence into decisions.
“Buyers today are entering the market with clearer expectations and stronger financial footing,” said Eddy. “Even though affordability remains a challenge, the slower pace has allowed people to make decisions that feel right for them, and that’s reflected in lower regret levels across the board.”
Nov. 25, 2025 Realty News Report Copyright 2025
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File: The 16 Top Reasons Homebuyers Have Buyer’s Remorse