[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3hvqu5dsw5da8":3,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":43},{"item":4,"previous":31,"next":37},{"id":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"description":8,"excerpt":9,"contentType":10,"featuredImage":11,"bannerImage":9,"body":12,"agentsBottomLine":13,"bodyImage":14,"isInfographic":15,"categories":16,"isVideo":15,"videoThumbnail":9,"videoSource":9,"publishedAt":29,"updatedAt":30},106543,"the-10-best-markets-for-first-time-buyers-this-spring","The 10 Best Markets for First-Time Buyers This Spring","\u003Cp>For a while, buying your first home hasn’t just felt hard. It may have felt out of reach.\u003C\u002Fp>","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260414\u002FHeader-Image-GettyImages-1179026119-original.png","\u003Cp>For a while, buying your \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\u002F2026\u002F03\u002F18\u002F3-must-dos-for-first-time-home-buyers\u002F\">first home\u003C\u002Fa> hasn’t just felt hard. It may have felt out of reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Not because you weren’t \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>ready\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Not because you weren’t \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>trying\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>But because every time you ran the numbers, they \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>didn’t work\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>That’s why so many first-time buyers stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>But after years of sitting on the outside looking in, this Spring could give \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\u002F2026\u002F04\u002F09\u002Fwhen-buying-a-home-feels-out-of-reach-some-families-do-this-instead\u002F\">\u003Cstrong>buyers\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cstrong> like you an opening again – especially in some markets.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Metros Where Buyers May Have an Easier Time Breaking into the Market\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Zillow \u003C\u002Fem>just released a list of the top 50 metros for first-time buyers this Spring. And here’s a quick snapshot of the top 10 (\u003Cem>see chart below\u003C\u002Fem>): \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260414\u002F20260420-Top-10-Markets-original.png\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260414\u002F20260420-Top-10-Markets-original.png\" alt=\"a table with white text and black text\">\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>According to \u003Cem>Zillow\u003C\u002Fem>, in these top-ranked markets, median-income households can afford \u003Cstrong>68% of all homes for sale\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Let that sink in.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Not long ago, it felt like you could barely afford \u003Cem>anything\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Now, you may actually have \u003Cem>some\u003C\u002Fem> \u003Cem>options \u003C\u002Fem>again.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>That doesn’t mean every home is suddenly going to fit your budget. \u003C\u002Fstrong>But it does mean the door that felt closed for so many buyers is starting to crack back open. And in a number of cities, first-time \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\u002F2026\u002F04\u002F09\u002Fwhen-buying-a-home-feels-out-of-reach-some-families-do-this-instead\u002F\">buyers\u003C\u002Fa> may finally be getting a shot at \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\u002F2026\u002F02\u002F25\u002Frenting-vs-buying-the-numbers-might-surprise-you\u002F\">buying\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Why This Is Starting To Open Up\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>These cities are rising to the top not because of any one big change, but from a few smaller ones finally lining up. As Orphe Divounguy, Senior Economist at \u003Cem>Zillow\u003C\u002Fem>, explains:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“\u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>First-time buyers are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. \u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>Affordability is still a challenge, but rising incomes, stabilizing prices and improving inventory are creating real opportunities in parts of the country. \u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>In the strongest markets for first-time buyers, they'll find more choices, less competition and a clearer path to homeownership than they've had in years\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\u003Cp>Basically, three big things are working in your favor:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>More homes are hitting the market. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>Realtor.com\u003C\u002Fem> says inventory is up \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.realtor.com\u002Fresearch\u002Fmarch-2026-data\u002F\">8.1%\u003C\u002Fa> compared to last year. That gives\u003Cstrong> \u003C\u002Fstrong>you more choices, less pressure, and more chances to find a place that fits your budget.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Price growth is moderating,\u003C\u002Fstrong> so homes aren’t moving further out of reach as quickly. Some may even be falling back within your target price point.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Incomes are rising.\u003C\u002Fstrong> If you make more money, that can offset some of the affordability challenges too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>And even though mortgage rates have been higher lately, that combination can still make a difference. As Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at \u003Cem>First American\u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cstrong>,\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.firstam.com\u002Feconomics\u002Faffordability-reached-best-level-since-2022-in-january%E2%80%8B\">explains\u003C\u002Fa>:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“Income growth has outpaced house price growth for 19 straight months, boosting house-buying power even as mortgage rates remain elevated.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>How To Find the Opportunities in Your Local Market\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>But what if your city didn’t make the top 10 list, or even the top 50 markets? Here’s what you really need to remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>There’s going to be opportunities in \u003Cem>every \u003C\u002Fem>market, if you know where to look.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Even in the same city, two buyers can have completely different experiences. And a big part of that is who they choose as their partner. The right agent knows how to find pockets of opportunity in \u003Cem>any \u003C\u002Fem>market. That could mean:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>A neighborhood where prices haven’t climbed as quickly\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>A part of town with more inventory, or\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>A \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"\u002F2026\u002F02\u002F16\u002Fmove-up-buyers-are-choosing-new-construction\u002F\">new build\u003C\u002Fa> community offering incentives so builders can sell their inventory\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>So, even if your city didn’t make the list, that’s okay. There’s still an opening for you, you just need your agent to help you find it.\u003C\u002Fp>","\u003Cp>For a long time, first-time buyers have felt stuck, waiting for their turn to buy. But for some buyers, this Spring might be the first time in a while where things start to feel more within reach again.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Want to see which neighborhoods could give you the best shot at buying right now? Let’s talk.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260414\u002F20260420-Top-10-Markets-original.png",false,[17,21,25],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},322,"Affordability","affordability","2026-04-20T10:30:00Z","2026-04-14T20:25:26Z",{"id":32,"slug":33,"title":34,"featuredImage":35,"publishedAt":36,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},106535,"rent-or-buy-the-real-tradeoff-most-people-dont-talk-about","Rent or Buy? The Real Tradeoff Most People Don’t Talk About","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260414\u002FHeader-Image-Spring-2021-Buyer-Guide-9--original.png","2026-04-16T10:30:00Z",{"id":38,"slug":39,"title":40,"featuredImage":41,"publishedAt":42,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},106857,"more-options-are-popping-up-this-spring","More Options Are Popping Up This Spring","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260421\u002FHeader-Image-GettyImages-814730874-original.png","2026-04-22T10:30:00Z",[44,48,52,56,60,64,68,69,73,77,81,85,89,93,97,101,105,109,113,117,118,122,123,127,131,135,139,143,147,151],{"id":45,"name":46,"slug":47},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":49,"name":50,"slug":51},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":53,"name":54,"slug":55},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":57,"name":58,"slug":59},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":61,"name":62,"slug":63},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":65,"name":66,"slug":67},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":70,"name":71,"slug":72},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":74,"name":75,"slug":76},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":78,"name":79,"slug":80},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":82,"name":83,"slug":84},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":86,"name":87,"slug":88},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":90,"name":91,"slug":92},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":94,"name":95,"slug":96},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":98,"name":99,"slug":100},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy",{"id":102,"name":103,"slug":104},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":106,"name":107,"slug":108},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":110,"name":111,"slug":112},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":114,"name":115,"slug":116},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":119,"name":120,"slug":121},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},{"id":124,"name":125,"slug":126},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips",{"id":128,"name":129,"slug":130},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":132,"name":133,"slug":134},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":136,"name":137,"slug":138},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":140,"name":141,"slug":142},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":144,"name":145,"slug":146},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":148,"name":149,"slug":150},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]