I
'm a sucker for the spring homebuying season, but I'm not buying a house, selling one, or working as a real estate agent. As the warmer weather sets in, new property listings flood sites like Zillow, and I find myself down a rabbit hole of clicking through photos. My dad, an architecture buff, instilled in me an eye for design, and now I'm hooked on imagining what it's like to live in the houses I see online.

    Some people are obsessed with fashion, art, or music; for me, it's real estate. When visiting a new city or town, I'll picture myself living in the homes that catch my eye and question the design choices of those that don't. Zillow is just an online version of that – except better, with interior photos and asking prices at my fingertips.

    I'm not alone in this obsession; a 2021 survey found that 55% of respondents spend between 1-4 hours a day on Zillow, while the platform counted nearly 10 billion visitors in 2023. It's like binge-watching House Hunters or Million Dollar Listing – we're exploring an alternate universe where we can afford to buy a house.

    Buying a home is quintessential to the American Dream, but we're in the midst of an affordability crisis, with high mortgage rates and limited housing supply blocking would-be buyers. Doomscrolling property listings can be a distraction from just how unaffordable today's market is – or a harsh reminder of it.

    Houses are like clothing when you're window shopping; even if they're wildly outside your budget, it's a fantasy. The stakes aren't high, and daydreaming is free. But the gap between my real estate fantasies and financial reality is staggering: prices have increased over 40% since before the pandemic, and mortgage rates are more than double what they were just a few years ago.

    I could happily live in an $11 million Brooklyn brownstone or a charming Tudor in New Jersey – but those price tags are out of reach. Maybe I should consider moving to a rural area, like my college town in upstate New York, where homes are more affordable. But even there, the down payment and closing costs would be a challenge.

    What does our Zillow obsession say about today's housing market? During the pandemic, remote work led to a housing boom that sent prices soaring. In 2020, Zillow saw a 1.5 billion increase in visits, but only a small percentage turned into buyers. Dreaming of moving into another space and life has an undeniable appeal – especially when many of us were trapped in tiny apartments or holed up in our childhood bedrooms.

    Idealizing homes online can lead to shame or loss of hope about ever affording one. For younger generations, saddled with debt, high rental costs, and stagnant wages, saving for a home purchase feels impossible. So we doomscroll – market research or morbid curiosity, but rarely hopeful.

    If you're left feeling frustrated and dejected after window shopping, try these steps to focus on what's within your control:

    💵 Set savings goals: Start small with weekly or monthly targets, and put your cash in a separate high-yield savings account or money market account to grow your money faster through compound interest.

    💵 Build your credit score: Aim for timely payments and monitor your credit report for mistakes. You can get a free weekly credit report here.

    💵 Pay down debt: Reducing your debt will boost your credit score and put you in a better position to take on a mortgage, freeing up room in your budget for down payment savings.

    💵 Research first-time homebuyer programs: Many states offer assistance with down payments and closing costs through government-sponsored or private programs.