The recent slowdown in the housing market has been a boon for buyers. Since last summer, more properties have come onto the market; mortgage interest rates have dropped; and the rate of home price appreciation, once in the double digits, is waning. But that still doesn't help the many would-be buyers on a tight budget.
Affordability is still the biggest hurdle to homeownership, with nearly half of aspiring buyers looking for residences costing $200,000 or less, according to a recent realtor.com® survey. That may be wishful thinking-the national median home price was about a third more, at $295,000 as of March 1. And home prices are still up 7% year over year.