The share of consumers confident that it wouldn't be difficult to obtain a mortgage in the current market shot up 10% from a quarter ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The claim that getting a mortgage wouldn't be challenging rose to 46% in the second quarter from 36% in the first quarter, likely due to positive perceptions of the improving economy.
"Healthy job creation and faster wage growth mean that homeownership is viewed as a more attainable goal than it was a year ago," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun in a press release.
Consumers were also optimistic about home selling in the second quarter, with the percentage of people claiming it is a good time to sell a house rising to 75%, up from 71% from a year ago and matching a survey high from 3Q17.
While high home prices and low housing demand have consumers confident to sell, these conditions created the opposite effect on consumer sentiments for home buying. About 68% of people report it's a good time for a house purchase, down from 71% from last year.
"Inventory remains the driving force in real estate, affecting everything for rising prices to household formation. Improving supply conditions is critical to improving buyer optimism and helping to remove some of the barriers holding back potential first-time buyers," said Yun.
About 68% of people felt that home prices have risen in their neighborhoods within the last 12 months, which is up 5% from a year ago. Only 28% report local house values have stayed the same and 5% feel they've declined.
