According to research from the Bank of America Institute, more consumers prefer buying a home over renting one or bunking with family.

The 2026 Bank of America Homebuyer Insights Report, which went public on June 23, contains heartening data for potential ICI Homes customers considering buying or building a new custom Florida home.

Among its findings: 54 percent of survey participants preferred buying a home over the rental or family options (47 percent). It’s the first time since 2023 in this survey that consumers indicated a preference for buying over renting (56 percent of participants leaned toward buying in 2023 compared to 44 percent for renting).

There are many routes to homeownership, of course. And today’s residential real estate market can toss curveballs, but it’s encouraging to know in this semiquincentennial year that the American dream of homeownership appears alive and well.

Let’s unpack more below.

How it came together

Much of the 2026 Bank of America Homebuyer Insights Report was generated from a national online survey commissioned by Bank of America and conducted by Sparks Research from April 13 to May 10, 2026.

Two thousand surveys (1,000 homeowners and 1,000 renters) were completed with adults age 18 or older. These respondents indicated they made or shared household financial decisions, and included people who own a home, previously owned, or intend to own down the road.

Survey also says

A brighter outlook toward homeownership.

Ninety percent of survey participants called a home a valuable investment. That’s up from 79 percent in 2025.

Ninety-four percent said homeownership provides stability. That also increased, from 83 percent in 2025.

Thirty-two percent of survey participants said they’re more confident of being able to buy a home in 2026, a jump from 27 percent in 2025.

The survey also revealed participants are considering accelerating their timelines.

Seventy-one percent of survey participants said they’d wait for prices and interest rates to decline before buying a home, compared to 75 percent in 2025.

Fifty-two percent of current-homeowner participants said they expected to buy another home, with 22 percent expecting to buy in the coming year, compared to 15 percent in 2025.

Become an ICI Homes homeowner

Feeling encouraged by the information above? Cruise our website for information on where we build, our master-planned communities and our library of floor plans. Search our inventory homes for quick move-in opportunities and special pricing.

Speaking of pricing, our website and socials can help you monitor the availability of ICI Homes builder incentives such as interest-rate buydowns with our preferred lenders, and special credit on design-center choices — all of which help you buy a great new custom Florida home for a great price.

Other helpful website tools include our mortgage calculator, a community quiz to hone your focus, and the opportunity to take virtual tours with our sales associates if you’re not near our communities or live out-of-state.

Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.