{"id":937111,"date":"2026-02-16T08:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/redfin-reports-homebuyer-down-payments-shrink-for-first-time-in-5-months\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T08:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:04:20","slug":"redfin-reports-homebuyer-down-payments-shrink-for-first-time-in-5-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/redfin-reports-homebuyer-down-payments-shrink-for-first-time-in-5-months\/","title":{"rendered":"Redfin Reports Homebuyer Down Payments Shrink for First Time in 5 Months"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Redfin Reports Homebuyer Down Payments Shrink for First Time in 5 Months<\/b><\/p>\n

The typical homebuyer put down 15.2% of the purchase price, compared with 16.7% a year earlier<\/i><\/p>\n

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE<\/a>)–
\nThe typical U.S. homebuyer\u2019s down payment fell 1.5% year over year to $64,000 in December, the first decline in five months. That\u2019s according to a new report<\/a> from Redfin<\/a>, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket.<\/p>\n

\nThe median home sale price rose slightly in December (0.5%<\/a>) but down payments fell in dollar terms partly because the typical homebuyer put down a lower percentage of the purchase price than a year earlier.<\/p>\n

\nIn percentage terms, the typical homebuyer put down 15.2% of the purchase price, compared with 16.7% a year earlier.<\/p>\n

\n\u201cDown payments may be falling in part because Americans are seeking out more affordable homes due to high prices, elevated mortgage rates and economic uncertainty,\u201d said Redfin Principal Economist Sheharyar Bokhari<\/a>. \u201cSellers typically prefer buyers who make large down payments because it signals financial stability, but sellers don\u2019t have much say in today\u2019s market. Buyers hold the negotiating power<\/a> because there are more<\/a> homes for sale than people who want to buy them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nIt\u2019s worth noting that while mortgage rates remain more than double the all-time low hit during the pandemic, they have come down in recent months. The average 30-year-fixed mortgage rate now sits at 6.09%<\/a>, which is just shy of the lowest level since 2022. That has helped bring down<\/a> monthly mortgage payments, which may<\/a> bring more homebuyers off of the sidelines this year.<\/p>\n

Metro-Level Highlights<\/b><\/p>\n

The data below represents December 2025 and covers 38 of the most populous U.S. metros.<\/i><\/p>\n