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Down Payment Assistance

From rates to reality: why innovative homeownership alternatives matter now

Affordability, Contributors, Down Payment Assistance, Home Prices, Housing Market, HWmember, Mortgage Rates, Opinion, Real Estate /

For generations, the American Dream was synonymous with homeownership — a white picket fence, a backyard and the pride of owning a place to call your own. But today, that dream is undergoing a quiet transformation. With the national median home price now exceeding $426,000, according to NAR, the goal for many Americans has shifted […]

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Help exists for cash-strapped homebuyers — but many don’t know it

Affordability, Appraisal Institute, Covid-19, Down Payment Assistance, First-Time Homebuyers, Home Prices, Homebuying, Housing Market, HWmember, Inflation, Mortgage Rates, National Association of Realtors /

As home prices and mortgage rates continue to stretch budgets, many would-be homebuyers are wondering if they’ll ever be able to make the jump. Industry professionals say that creative financing tools and professional guidance can make homeownership more attainable, but a lack of awareness continues to stand in the way. Three voices from different corners

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Detroit’s new 40% down payment assistance program

Detroit, Down Payment Assistance, Guild Mortgage, Home Equity, HWmember, Michigan, Mortgage, Partnerships /

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) announced on Thursday that it is partnering with the Tobias Harris Homeownership Initiative, Guild Mortgage and Homium on a pilot shared-appreciation mortgage program aimed at expanding access to homeownership in Detroit. The effort is backed by Detroit Pistons basketball player Tobias Harris. The mortgage product will provide qualified

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Click n’ Close pairs 5/1 ARM with down payment assistance for new homes

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage, Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, homebuilder, HWmember, Mortgage /

Mortgage lender Click n’ Close has rolled out a new financing product that pairs an adjustable-rate mortgage with down payment assistance in an effort to make new homes more accessible to buyers. The program — called the SmartBuy 5/1 ARM Down Payment Assistance product — offers a first mortgage alongside a repayable second mortgage. The

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Down Payment Resource reports record-breaking DPA availability

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, First-Time Homebuyers, Homeownership, HWmember, Manufactured Housing, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates /

Down Payment Resource (DPR) on Tuesday released its Q2 2025 Homeownership Program Index report. It found that 45 new down payment assistance programs launched in the second quarter, bringing the total number of available programs in the U.S. to 2,554 and the number of program providers to 1,340. The number of programs is a new

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Survey: Down payment concerns delay homeownership for many

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, First-Time Homebuyers, Home Prices, Homebuyers, Housing Market, National Association of Realtors, NeighborWorks America, Real Estate /

Despite strong interest in home-buying, affordability challenges and misconceptions about down payments are deterring many potential buyers, according to a new survey from NeighborWorks America. The nonprofit organization reports that 27% of U.S. adults say they plan to buy a home within the next year. However, among those who are postponing or not planning to

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NAR: Homebuyers still have down payment misconceptions

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, FHA loan, First-Time Homebuyers, Homebuyers, Housing Market, HWmember, National Association of Realtors, VA Loan /

Despite growing attention around all-cash transactions, most Americans — especially first-time buyers — continue to finance their home purchases, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Among primary residence buyers, 74% financed their home purchase in 2024. That share jumps to 91% for first-time buyers, said Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief

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New platform aims to ease California down payment burden

Affordability, Artificial Intelligence, California, Canada, Down Payment Assistance, HWmember, Real Estate, Technology /

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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Rural America isn’t immune to housing squeeze

Affordability, Down Payment Assistance, Home Prices, Homeownership, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, HWmember /

Rural areas of the U.S. that have long been viewed as a refuge for affordable homeownership are now grappling with rising prices, limited inventory and increasing competition — pressures once thought unique to urban housing markets. “Even the term ‘affordable’ feels like a relic of the past,” said Jake Vehige, president of mortgage lending at

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