WASHINGTON — More than half of potential homebuyers say they’re still not prepared to jump into the market, and fear of losing their jobs is the No. 1 reason, a new poll shows.
With unemployment at a 26-year high and rising, nearly 53 percent of consumers who said they were planning to buy a home in the future cautioned they’re not ready to take such a large financial step right now, according to the survey released Thursday by .
Nearly a third of potential homebuyers surveyed cited concern about their jobs as the main reason they would shy away from the housing market. Worries about selling their current home are stopping 16 percent of the prospective buyers surveyed, while just under 8 percent said they fear home prices will keep falling.
Among those consumers who are interested in buying, the survey found, some believe that prices aren’t going to fall further and others are looking to take advantage of government incentives designed to kick-start sales. Alan Zibel, The Associated Press
