First-Time Homebuyers

Inside Real Estate puts forth AI-powered home search platform

Inside Real Estate has released HomeSearch AI — a new search and client engagement platform designed to let users input natural language to find listings and help real estate professionals reengage dormant leads. The platform incorporates technology from ListAssist — a company Inside Real Estate acquired earlier this year — along with features from BoomTown […]

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Down Payment Resource reports record-breaking DPA availability

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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Bright MLS: Housing market shifts toward necessity, balance

The U.S. housing market is entering a new phase defined less by competitive bidding and more by financial stress and practical necessity, according to a second-quarter Bright MLS agent survey released Friday. The findings reveal a marked departure from previous years’ demand-driven trends, with both home buyers and sellers increasingly motivated — or discouraged —

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Younger homebuyers turn to social media, AI and each other

Faced with high housing costs, economic instability and declining trust in traditional lending institutions, younger generations are redefining how they approach homeownership. A newly released NextGen Homebuyer Report — compiled by National Mortgage Insurance and financial literacy nonprofit FirstHome IQ — highlights how Gen Z and millennials are creatively navigating a changing real estate landscape.

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Phillip Cantrell’s book offers blueprint for real estate entrepreneurship

Veteran entrepreneur Phillip Cantrell distills four decades of hard-won business wisdom into his newly released book, “Failing My Way to Success: Lessons from 42 Years of Winning (and Losing) in Business,” which officially launched July 15. The founder and CEO of Benchmark Realty — who sold the company to United Real Estate in 2020 —

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Survey: Down payment concerns delay homeownership for many

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

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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Stable mortgage rate environment reshapes how LOs engage with borrowers

Analysts, economists and mortgage professionals are coining this quarter’s activity as one of the most “calm” periods for mortgage rates in recent memory. It follows nearly three years of borrowers being sidelined by higher rates or “stuck” in loans with historically low rates. BTIG analysts said Wednesday that despite Treasury volatility in April, mortgage rates

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Aspiring buyers turn to Realtors first in their home searches: survey

A national survey released by NeighborWorks America found that prospective homebuyers overwhelmingly turn to Realtors first when seeking information about the homebuying process — outpacing friends, family and online searches. According to the poll, 41% of respondents who plan to buy a home in the next year — or are waiting for the right time

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How to think about home prices for the rest of 2025

The story for the housing market over the past three years has been, “Home sales are down, home prices are up.” Because inventory was so restricted after the pandemic, prices pushed higher even as demand weakened. That story may finally be inverting as unsold inventory of homes is now great enough that home prices are

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