First-Time Home Buyer Data: Listings Up, Prices Down in Q4

Tampa non-profit revamps first-time homebuyer program to help future owners

Owning a home can be a lot easier said than done, so a Tampa nonprofit has revamped its first-time homebuyer’s program to give future homeowners a leg up on what to expect.

First-Time Home Buyer Data: Listings Up, Prices Down in Q4

Buying a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 would have been like finding dirt-cheap eggs — difficult. Though home prices decreased slightly and the number of homes crept up, the market remained particularly challenging for first-time home buyers.The last…

Illinois program helps first-time homebuyer overcome student loan debt

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A Rockford resident bought his first home thanks to an Illinois program that helps former students pay student loan debt. James Ekstrom said he would have been looking to buy a home earlier on in his life, but thousands of dollars of student loan debt was in his way. "15 years ago the average age of a first-time home buyer was 29. Today, it's 38," said Northwest Illinois Alliance of Realtors' Conor Brown. "It's really kin…

Is it going to be easier to get on the property ladder? - My Continuum

Climbing the property ladder – trading up from a first and probably cramped home to one large enough for children, and perhaps on to your dream home – could be a challenging and expensive business. But the most challenging and expensive of all is probably getting on to the first rung. There are two problems. The first is that property is expensive, and competition for anything affordable will be brisk.  The second is that lenders are restricted …

Legislation aims to help first-time homebuyers - The Times Weekly

Bill would create tax deductible accounts to save for down payments      As the cost of housing continues to rise, Illinois realtors are pushing legislation to make it easier for first-time homebuyers to save for a down payment.Senate Bill 148 would enable Illinois residents to open a special kind of savings account that could only be used to pay eligible costs for the purchase of a single-family residence. Deposits into those accounts would be …

Property Council calls for interest rate cap for first home buyers

The Property Council of Australia is calling for targeted government support to cap interest rates for Australians building their first new home. The Property Council’s First Home Buyer Accelerator Loan Scheme would help first-time home buyers of new homes or apartments by limiting deposits to 5 per cent and ensuring the bank charges a capped interest rate, with a government guarantee to support the lender. That cap will be either the official R…