Consumers view homeownership as a priority and say they’re willing to make significant compromises in order to purchase a home, according to a survey of more than 1,000 consumers considering a home purchase in 2017, conducted by the online brokerage firm Owners.com.

Sixty-nine percent of survey respondents say they’re concerned they won’t have enough cash for a down payment in order to buy a home. As such, they’re willing to forgo some financial goals and investments to make sure they save enough.

Respondents said that saving for a home takes priority over saving for an emergency (61 percent) or contributing to retirement funds (60 percent). Seventy-two percent of survey respondents said they would limit their contributions to other investment funds in order to save enough to buy a home.

Surveyed consumers also say they’re willing to compromise on some elements of the home if it means they can move into a home this year. For example, 51 percent said they would consider buying a fixer-upper, and 36 percent said they would purchase a smaller home than what they desire.

Source: “Americans Are Making Big Compromises to Buy Homes,” USA Today (Feb. 1, 2017)