First-Time Buyers

June 22, 2026

That House That’s Been Sitting Could Be Your Best Shot at a Deal



Open up a home search and you'll see them. Listings that have been on the market for two months. Three. Some longer.

Most buyers scroll right past them, assuming something’s wrong with the house. But that instinct could be costing you, since the longer a home sits, the …

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June 8, 2026

Could Moving a Bit Further Out Change Everything About Your Budget?



Whether you're dreaming about buying your first home or wondering if it’s time to move on from the one you're in, affordability is probably weighing on your mind. Home prices are still high in many markets, and even though things have improved a bit over the past year, making …

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June 1, 2026

Less House, More Home: Why Smaller Homes Are Paying Off for Today’s Buyers



You started shopping with a specific mental image of your future home in your mind. Then the houses in your budget came in smaller than you pictured.

That’s the reality for a lot of buyers right now. Affordability is tight.

But don’t let that discourage you. Going …

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May 21, 2026

Newly Built Home Prices Hit a 5-Year Low



If you’ve always assumed a newly built home is just not in your budget, you should know the math just got a little friendlier.

The median sale price of a newly built home is now at its lowest level since 2021, according to the latest data from …

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May 18, 2026

Are Home Prices Going To Fall?



It’s one of the biggest hold ups some buyers have right now: “What if I buy, and home prices go down?”

With everything in the news, that concern makes some sense. No one wants to make a big financial decision at the wrong time. But here’s what’s …

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May 7, 2026

Could Co-Buying Be the Answer for Some First-Time Buyers?



For a lot of would-be first-time buyers, affordability is the thing that’s standing in the way. But some buyers are getting creative and finding a way to still make the numbers work – and that’s through co-buying.

The Dream Is Still Alive. The Math Just Isn’t …

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April 27, 2026

Think You Have To Put 20% Down? Most First-Time Homebuyers Don’t.



According to Google Trends, online searches for down payment information recently hit an all-time high. And that’s a clear sign more buyers are trying to figure out what they really need to save before making a move (see graph below):

a graph of a line graphIf you’re wondering the same thing, …

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April 20, 2026

The 10 Best Markets for First-Time Buyers This Spring



For a while, buying your first home hasn’t just felt hard. It may have felt out of reach.

Not because you weren’t ready.

Not because you weren’t trying.

But because every time you ran the numbers, they didn’t work.

That’s why so …

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April 16, 2026

Rent or Buy? The Real Tradeoff Most People Don’t Talk About



You’ve probably asked yourself lately: Is it even worth trying to buy a home right now? It’s a question a lot of people are asking.

With today’s home prices and mortgage rates, renting can feel like the easier path. In some cases, it might even seem like the …

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April 15, 2026

Getting a Tax Refund? Here’s How It Can Help You Buy a Home



If you’re getting a tax refund this year, here’s something worth thinking about. That money could actually help you get closer to buying a home.

It may not be something you’ve factored into your plan yet, but it can give your savings a nice boost right when you …

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