Saving for Down Payment Tougher for First-Time Home Buyers

Starter home prices are growing nearly seven times faster than renter incomes, making what was likely already the biggest challenge for first-time home buyers ― saving for a down payment ― even more difficult. But there is good news for today’s first-time buyers, said Zillow, Seattle.

For Many, Despite Low Mortgage Rates, Down Payments Out of Reach

Even though mortgage affordability has improved since 2018 because of ultra-low mortgage rates, home values have grown at nearly twice the rate of incomes over the past six years, said Zillow, Seattle, making saving for a down payment—particularly for first time buyers—a challenge.

Monday Report: Red-Hot Housing Markets and a Time-Capsule Survey

This morning’s Monday Report features stories that confirm the housing markets remain hot, regardless of location or political preference; what that might mean for down payments; and a housing survey that, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, was obsolete the moment it was released.