Affordability

Down payments shrink as homebuyers scoop up FHA, VA loans

As of April 2025, the typical U.S. homebuyer’s down payment was $62,468, down roughly 1% on a yearly basis and the first annual decline in nearly two years. That’s according to a new report from Redfin that’s based on an analysis of records across 40 of the most populous U.S. metropolitan areas. In percentage terms, […]

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Seattle housing market wrestles with crippling affordability concerns

On the surface, Seattle’s housing market looks like any other in the country. The inventory of single-family homes for sale is up substantially year over year. New listings are up slightly, sales remain subdued and home prices aren’t moving much. That’s the story in the majority of housing markets. But Seattle is wrestling with a

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Comfortable city living usually requires a six-figure salary

Homeownership in many of America’s largest cities now demands a six-figure salary to sustain a comfortable lifestyle — with some regions requiring more than $300,000 annually. A new analysis by GOBankingRates ranked the top 50 U.S. cities by the income necessary to afford a comfortable standard of living, using factors such as average home prices,

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Americans are divided over housing impacts of immigration, tariffs

A new Redfin survey reveals sharp divides among Americans over how immigration and tariffs are affecting housing affordability, reflecting a complex and politically charged landscape. More than half of U.S. homeowners and renters (51.2%) believe that reducing immigration could worsen housing affordability by shrinking the pool of construction workers and limiting the number of new

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First American: Rising costs squeeze homeownership for millions

The cost of owning a home in the U.S. has jumped sharply in recent years, reaching an average of more than $1,700 per month in 2023 — a 17% increase since 2020 — according to an analysis by First American senior economist Sam Williamson. Using the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Williamson found that

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Buying Your First Home? FHA Loans Can Help

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you might feel like the odds are stacked against you in today’s market. But there are resources and programs out there that can help – if you know where to look. And one thing that can make homeownership easier to achieve? An FHA home loan. They’re designed to help you

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Mortgage rates aren’t hampering millennials’ homebuying interest

Millennials are the only generation showing increased interest in buying a home in the next six months, according to a new survey by Realtor.com. The survey, conducted this spring, found that 23% of millennials plan to buy a home, up from 15% in September 2024. By contrast, 69% of Americans across all generations said they

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a graph of sales and prices

Newly Built Homes May Be Less Expensive Than You Think

Do you think a brand-new home means a bigger price tag? Think again. Right now, something unique is happening in the housing market. According to the Census and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median price of newly built homes is actually lower than the median price for existing homes (ones that have already

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New platform aims to ease California down payment burden

Zown, a real estate platform that offers upfront financial help to homebuyers, is expanding into California with a goal to ease the burden of down payments and elevated home prices. The service has launched in the Golden State after gaining traction in Canada, where it supported more than 250 homebuyers and facilitated $300 million-plus in

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Zillow: Northeast housing competition heats up while Sun Belt offers breathing room

As the spring homebuying season ramps up, prospective buyers in the Northeast are facing fierce competition, while shoppers in the Sun Belt are finding more negotiating power, according to new data from Zillow. The analysis released Thursday shows a stark contrast between markets. In cities like Buffalo, New York; Boston; Hartford, Connecticut; and Providence, Rhode

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