{"id":4350,"date":"2026-07-29T23:07:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T23:07:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=4350"},"modified":"2026-07-29T23:07:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T23:07:56","slug":"u-s-second-home-mortgages-are-up-for-the-first-time-since-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=4350","title":{"rendered":"U.S. second-home mortgages are up for the first time since the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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More Americans took out mortgages for a second home in 2025 than during the previous year, something that hasn\u2019t happened since the COVID-19 pandemic buying frenzy.<\/p>\n

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The 4.1% increase in second-home mortgages comes after four years of declines from a 2021 peak, the online real estate brokerage Redfin reported. Last year, the number of mortgages for primary residences rose just 1% from 2024.<\/p>\n

But vacation home numbers fall far short of pre-pandemic activity.<\/p>\n

In 2021, there were more than 258,000 second-home mortgages compared to just over 90,000 last year, according to Redfin\u2019s data. The share of total mortgages going for second homes also fell, from 5.1% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2025, just a 0.1 percentage point increase from 2024.<\/p>\n

The same affordability issues and high mortgage rates that have slowed the overall market are seen as being behind the decline, along with fewer opportunities to use the properties for remote work or rental income.<\/p>\n

Chen Zhao, Redfin\u2019s head of economics research, said those shifts make \u201cvacation homes less appealing for regular Americans,\u201d many of whom are struggling to be able to afford a primary residence.<\/p>\n

\u201cVacation homes are making a modest comeback, but it\u2019s a very different market than it was during the pandemic,\u201d Zhao said, noting today\u2019s buyers \u201ctend to have the financial flexibility to make a big, discretionary purchase even in an expensive housing market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s buying vacation homes?<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s how Redfin describes who took out a mortgage for another home last year:<\/p>\n