HUGE Home Buying MYTH that you must have 20% down payment to buy! Most borrowers average LESS than 20% down payment.

Did you know that we offer up to $10,000 in Down Payment Assistance to eligible applicants?

Is the idea of saving for a down payment holding you back from buying a home right now? You may be eager to take advantage of today’s low mortgage rates, but the thought of needing a large down payment might make you want to pump the brakes. Today, there’s still a common myth that you have to come up with 20% of the total sale price for your down payment. This means people who could buy a home may be putting their plans on hold because they don’t have that much saved yet. The reality is, whether you’re looking for your first home or you’ve purchased one before, you most likely don’t need to put 20% down. 

Here’s why.

According to Freddie Mac:

“The most damaging down payment myth—since it stops the homebuying process before it can start—is the belief that 20% is necessary.”

If saving that much money sounds daunting, potential homebuyers might give up on the dream of homeownership before they even begin – but they don’t have to.
Data in the 2020 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) indicates that the median down payment actually hasn’t been over 20% since 2005, and even then, that was for repeat buyers, not first-time homebuyers. As the image below shows, today’s median down payment is clearly less than 20%.

 Traditionally speaking, the holiday season is not when homebuyers flock to sign on the dotted line. But 2020 was a different animal, and the numbers are in. Pending home sales reached a record high for December as the unseasonable housing surge continued in markets across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Realtor Magazine, pending sales were up 21.4% year over year in December, reaching the highest reading for a December on the National Association of REALTORS®’ Pending Home Sales Index. All major regions of the U.S. recorded double-digit increases annually.

While housing shortages continue the upward pressure, National Association of Realtor’s chief economist Lawrence Yun says,“Pending home sales contracts have dipped during recent months, but I would attribute that to having too few homes for sale.” “There is a high demand for housing and a great number of would-be buyers, and therefore sales should rise with more new listings. This elevated demand without a significant boost in supply has caused home prices to increase and we can expect further upward pressure on prices for the foreseeable future.”

He projects that 2021 will see strong economic growth, with low mortgage rates and fiscal stimulus thrown into the equation — all as part of an elixir that could help increase existing-home sales. Yun predicts continued low mortgage rates that can help bolster existing-home sales to 6.49 million this year, which would be a 15% increase over the total 5.64 million sales from 2020.

Source: NAR | TBWS