Every year, Halloween serves as a stark reminder that humans scare easily – from spiders and clowns to zombies and gore, there's no end to our list of potential frights. And on that list – according to a recent survey from Ally Home, the residential mortgage lending arm of Ally Bank – is the homebuying process. According to the survey of 1,000+ U.S. adults, only 53% feel confident in their knowledge of the homebuying process.

"Homes are a huge investment, so the purchasing process can feel daunting, especially for first-time buyers," said Glenn Brunker, president of Ally Home. "From navigating fluctuations in home prices and mortgage rates to submitting an offer, there is a lot to juggle. At Ally, we walk alongside people, helping them make smart decisions that suit their unique financial picture. We find education and preparation help alleviate stress and free the consumer to focus on their home aspirations."

While 61% feel confident they know how to search for a home, 51% still feel anxious when it comes to the homebuying process. To quell this anxiety, Ally launched The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Home, a free resource to help prospective homebuyers confidently navigate every step of the process. And unlike most big banks and lenders, Ally makes the mortgage process fast, intuitive, and free from lender fees – meaning no application, processing, underwriting, or origination fees when applying for a new home or refinancing an existing loan.

Other survey findings include:

The everyday scaries

• When compared to buying a new home, consumers are more afraid of snakes (26%), heights (25%), and having a tooth pulled (22%).

Finance frights

• When considering buying, deciding on a price point (45%) and identifying the right time (44%) make consumers most anxious.

• When submitting an offer, nearly half feel anxious about knowing the right offer amount (48%) or entering a bidding war (47%).

Casper the friendly ghost isn't such a bad housemate!

• More than a third (36%) say they would purchase a haunted house if it cost 25% less than a similar house that is not haunted.

Screeching tires are better than haunted howls…

• More than a third (36%) say they would rather live in a house by a highway than in a haunted house.

What goes bump in the night...

• In terms of what makes consumers feel anxious about homeownership, most respondents cite repair and maintenance expenses (58%), getting the work done (52%), and the mortgage debt (44%).

This survey fielded by Ally Home in August 2021 was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults, aged 25 and older.