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NPR
Anyone shopping for a home right now has to contend with a double whammy of high prices and high interest rates. To make matters worse, there aren't a lot of homes on the market to choose from. Still, some people are taking the plunge. First-time buyers accounted for nearly a third of home sales during the 12 months ending in June, according to an annual snapshot from the National Association of Realtors®. A record 70% of all buyers didn't have children under 18 living at home. About 13% of homes sold this past year were newly built, according to the Realtors®' report, up from 12% the year before. According to the Realtors®' report, coming up with a down payment is the biggest challenge for many first-time buyers, especially those who are saddled with high rent and student loans. The average income for all home-buyers hit a record high: $107,000. That highlights the challenges that middle-income people face in buying a home. "Down payment, finding that right home — inventory is still incredibly tight — We know that they have a hard time, especially finding an affordable property," says Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist at the Realtors®' association. "But these homebuyers are somehow making it work and getting in there."
