Fewer households qualify when affordability is stretched, but homes keep selling and the buyer pool is real. In our own transactions we see buyers skewing a bit older, with larger down payments and stronger credit than a decade ago. The "who can possibly afford this" reaction almost always comes from the highest-cost metros (coastal California, New York, Boston). Across much of the country there are still solid homes at reachable prices, so the answer depends heavily on where you are standing. Look at any month's existing-home-sales report and the mix holds up: first-time buyers, investors and second-home buyers, and move-up buyers trading equity out of a home they already own, sometimes with family help. Most people who own today bought at lower prices and locked-in rates, so the newly listed homes are what feel unaffordable rather than ownership across the board. That same lock-in keeps supply thin. On sustainability: prices hold as long as enough qualified buyers absorb the limited homes coming to market, which is generally the case given how tight inventory is. Rates move affordability more than income or price does; housing analyst Logan Mohtashami estimates roughly 5 million buyers gain or lose qualification for every 1% change in mortgage rates. Nobody can promise where rates or prices go from here. If you want to see where you actually stand, the free Roadmap conversation (about 20 minutes) gives you your real numbers.