Housing Market News
Affordability
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
The Five Most Affordable Places for Teachers to Buy a Home Are All in California
Merced, CA—an agricultural hub hit hard by the Great Recession—topped the list of U.S. metro areas where teachers had relatively high disposable incomes in 2020.
How to Avoid Overpaying for a Home
With 42% of homebuyers paying more than list price and nearly two-thirds of offers facing bidding wars, it’s easy to get swept up in this
The Trials of a 2021 Homebuyer: More Money, More Competition and More Home Tours
A red-hot real estate market has forced house hunters to step up their game. Buyers are making bigger down payments, offering above asking prices, waiving
Jacksonville, Austin and Charlotte Led 13% Surge In Total U.S. Housing Market Value During Pandemic
The housing market has gained $4 trillion in value in the past year as cash-rich Americans have transferred their wealth from major hubs like San
Homebuyers on a $2,500 Monthly Budget Stand to Lose $23,250 in Spending Power as Mortgage Rates Rise from Record Lows
Forty-four percent of respondents to a recent Redfin survey said mortgage rates rising above 3.5% would have no impact on their homebuying plans. A homebuyer
Half of Homes In Seattle and Washington, D.C. Are In Economically Integrated Neighborhoods—a Bigger Share Than Other Major U.S. Cities
The two cities have relatively large proportions of households located in neighborhoods with about equal numbers of high-end and affordable homes—a dynamic that can promote
