Housing Market News
Affordability
The Typical Homebuyer’s Down Payment Is $56,000, Up 24% From a Year Ago
Over one-third of home purchases in February were made in all cash—not far from the record high. The median down payment for U.S. homebuyers was
First-Time Buyers Must Make $76,000 to Afford the Typical U.S. Starter Home–Up 8% From a Year Ago
Buyers must earn nearly twice as much as before the pandemic to afford the typical starter home, due to the one-two punch of high prices
The Typical Household Earns Roughly $30,000 Less Than Needed to Afford the Median-Priced Home—But That’s an Improvement From Last Year
Buyers need to earn $114,000 to afford the typical U.S. home—35% more than the typical household makes. But that’s an improvement from October, when buyers
Redfin Home Price Index: Prices Rose 0.6% in February, Marking Return to Pre-Pandemic Norm
While mortgage rates remain elevated, they’re not as volatile as they were at the height of the pandemic, which has helped stabilize home price growth.
Majority of U.S. Homeowners and Renters Say Housing Affordability Affects Their Pick for President
Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of respondents to a new Redfin survey say housing affordability makes them feel negative about the economy. More than half (53.2%) of
The U.S. Housing Market Gained $2 Trillion in Value Over the Last Year
The total value of U.S. homes jumped 5%, the biggest gain in nearly a year, as a shortage of houses for sale propped up values.
All-Cash Home Purchases Ended 2025 at Five-Year Low
29% of homebuyers paid with cash in December—the lowest share for that month since 2020—as a drop in mortgage rates diminished the benefits of paying
Homebuyer Down Payments Shrink for First Time in 5 Months
The typical homebuyer’s down payment dropped 1.5% year over year in December to $64,000 as elevated housing costs and increased negotiating power drove buyers to
64% of Single Americans Struggle to Afford Housing, Compared With 39% of Married People
Nearly half of single Americans earn less than $50,000 per year, compared to just 9% of married couples, according to a recent Redfin survey. That
Homebuyers Need to Earn $35,000 More Than Renters to Afford Monthly Payments. That’s the Smallest Gap in 3 Years.
Homebuyers need to earn $111,000 annually to afford the median-priced home, compared with $76,000 for renters. The median household income is $86,000. While that’s a
Affordability Is Improving: Buyers Must Earn $111,000 to Afford the Typical Home, Down 4% From Last Year
Homebuying affordability is improving nationwide after nearly five years during which it generally worsened. That’s because mortgage rates are lower and home-price growth is muted.
Austin, TX—Once Among the Nation’s Hottest Housing Markets—Is Now the Slowest
The typical Austin home that went under contract in December spent a record 106 days on the market, compared with 60 days nationwide. A decade
