Luxury spaces that focus on well-being, comfort and personal meaning are shaping everything in the home, from material selection and layout to color, light and more.

The 2026 spring housing market is neither surging nor stalled, but moving forward as both buyers and sellers adjust their expectations.

Short answer: Yes. But not quite in the way mom and dad did it, according to a survey of over 2,000 American renters and would-be homeowners.

S&P Dow Jones Indices noted that inflation outpaced national home-price appreciation for the ninth month in a row.

That timeline is typical for a family saving 15% of their income, assuming a 15% down payment.

Among over 600 home features and design aspects, exposed beams were the most popular — home listings featuring the element saw 19.7% more engagement on Zillow.com.

Boomers made up 42% of all homebuyers during the period from July 2024 to June 2025, unchanged from the same time a year prior. Millennials lost market share, making up 26% of buyers, down 3% year over year.

The average monthly payment on an outstanding home loan reached $2,005 in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Realtor.com’s latest data based on FHFA figures.

Redfin noted that millennials are currently the largest generation, making the rate of boomer homeownership even more outsized in comparison.

S&P Dow Jones Indices noted that inflation outpaced national home-price appreciation for the eighth month in a row. 

The 2026 National Housing Supply Summit was held in Washington, D.C., on March 18.

Regionally, pending sales rose in the Midwest, South and West, and declined in the Northeast on a month-over-month basis.

Many Americans are planning a move this year, driven by lifestyle changes, family needs and homeownership goals, according to the 2026 State of Moving Forecast Survey by American Home Shield. 

After five years of worsening, housing affordability has finally started to improve, according to a new Redfin study. 

With mortgage rates approaching 6%, 5.5 million additional buyers that could not qualify for a mortgage one year ago would qualify at today’s lower rates, the National Association of REALTORS® said. 

As the housing market continues to adjust, design and community strategy have become drivers of buyer preference, according to Jenni Nichols, vice president of design at John Burns Research and Consulting.