[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f2628brjjaaaxj":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":47,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":51},{"item":4,"previous":35,"next":41},{"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":33,"updatedAt":34},109379,"down-payments-are-smaller-than-theyve-been-since-2021","Down Payments Are Smaller Than They’ve Been Since 2021","\u003Cp>Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home.\u003C\u002Fp>","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260630\u002FHeader-Image-GettyImages-1492289682-original.png","\u003Cp>Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home. And with \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002F2026\u002F05\u002F27\u002Fthe-truth-about-affordability-today\">affordability\u003C\u002Fa> as tight as it’s been lately, it’s fair to wonder how anyone manages it right now. Here’s something you may not have seen coming. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Some people are getting their foot in the door with a smaller down payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.realtor.com\u002Fresearch\u002Fdown-payment-report-may-2026\">According\u003C\u002Fa> to \u003Cem>Realtor.\u003C\u002Fem>com, the typical buyer put down about $23,400 in early 2026 – that's around $5,000 below what was typical the year before (a 19% drop year over year). \u003Cstrong>That’s\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003Cstrong>the lowest down payments have been since 2021 \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>(see graph below):\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260630\u002F20260702-Down-Payments-original.png\" alt=\"a graph of a line graph\">\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>So why are buyers putting less money down, and how can you put less down, too? Here’s your answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Why Down Payments Are Getting Smaller\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>There are a few things driving the trend:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul style=\"list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 1rem;\">\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Less competition between buyers. \u003C\u002Fstrong>Part of it comes down to a more \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002F2026\u002F06\u002F18\u002Fis-it-still-a-sellers-market-heres-what-the-data-says\u002F\">balanced market\u003C\u002Fa>. With buyers facing less competition than they did a few years ago, there’s less pressure to put a big sum down just to stand out.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>More moderate home prices.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Your down payment is a percentage of the purchase price. So, as price growth cools, the amount you need to put down may change too. In a lot of markets, prices have \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002F2026\u002F06\u002F29\u002Fthe-1-factor-that-explains-everything-happening-with-home-prices-right-now\u002F\">slowed\u003C\u002Fa> or leveled off, and some areas are even seeing slight dips. That can translate into smaller down payments.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Buyers opting for loans with lower down payments.\u003C\u002Fstrong> More buyers are also turning to government-backed loans, like FHA and VA, which often need little or no money down. FHA loans have made up more than 24% of purchase mortgages for five straight quarters, and VA loans recently hit their highest share in over a decade, according to \u003Cem>Mortgage Professional America\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>But even a smaller down payment is still a significant chunk of cash, and saving it can be hard. So where does the rest come from? For many buyers, two things make the difference: programs built to help, and a hand from loved ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Help You May Not Know You Qualify For\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Down payment assistance is one of the most overlooked tools out there. Looking at the 10 largest U.S. metros, \u003Cem>Urban Institute \u003C\u002Fem>and \u003Cem>Down Payment Resource\u003C\u002Fem> \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdownpaymentresource.com\u002Fprofessional-resource\u002Fwhat-data-actually-reveal-on-dpa-loan-quality\u002F\">found\u003C\u002Fa> \u003Cstrong>nearly 44% of recent buyers already qualified for a down payment program, but many of them closed on their loan without tapping the help\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003Cem>(see chart below)\u003C\u002Fem>:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260630\u002F20260702-Many-Buyers-Qualify-original.png\" alt=\"a diagram of a payment\">\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The options are broader than you might assume, too. \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdownpaymentresource.com\u002Fprofessional-resource\u002Fdown-payment-assistance-continues-to-expand-in-q1-2026-reaching-2679-programs-nationwide\u002F\">According\u003C\u002Fa> to \u003Cem>Down Payment Resource\u003C\u002Fem>:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul style=\"list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 1rem;\">\u003Cli>\u003Cp>There are more than \u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdownpaymentresource.com\u002Fprofessional-resource\u002Fdown-payment-assistance-continues-to-expand-in-q1-2026-reaching-2679-programs-nationwide\u002F\">2,600\u003C\u002Fa> down payment assistance programs available\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>More than half (62%) are designed to help first-time buyers\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>38% have no first-time buyer requirement, so you may qualify even if you've owned before\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>62% are open to buyers earning $100,000 or more\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>A Boost from Loved Ones\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>For a growing number of buyers, help comes from closer to home. Research from \u003Cem>Veterans United \u003C\u002Fem>shows about 59% of parents have provided or plan to provide financial support to help their child buy a home.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>That support most often goes toward the down payment, followed by help qualifying for a mortgage and covering closing costs. Chris Birk, VP of Mortgage Insight at \u003Cem>Veterans United\u003C\u002Fem>, puts it this way:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“For many families, helping a child buy a home has become less of an optional gesture and more of a practical response to today’s affordability challenges.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\u003Cp>If your loved ones are in a position to help, it can make a real difference in how soon you can buy.\u003C\u002Fp>","\u003Cp>Down payments are smaller than they’ve been in years, and that opens the door for more buyers.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>And with added help from assistance programs and a little help from loved ones, you may have more ways forward than you realized. Connect with a trusted lender to talk through your options.\u003C\u002Fp>","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260630\u002F20260702-Down-Payments-original.png",false,[17,21,25,29],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":30,"name":31,"slug":32},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips","2026-07-02T10:30:00Z","2026-06-30T17:41:58Z",{"id":36,"slug":37,"title":38,"featuredImage":39,"publishedAt":40,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},109374,"the-housing-market-is-stronger-than-you-think","The Housing Market Is Stronger Than You Think","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260630\u002FHeader-Image-Spring-2021-Buyer-Guide-3--original.png","2026-07-01T10:30:00Z",{"id":42,"slug":43,"title":44,"featuredImage":45,"publishedAt":46,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},109423,"what-buying-or-selling-a-home-gives-back-to-your-community","What Buying or Selling a Home Gives Back to Your Community","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260701\u002FHeader-Image-GettyImages-595504906-original.png","2026-09-02T10:30:00Z",{"cover":48,"open":49,"shareSpread":50},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",[52,56,57,61,65,69,73,74,78,82,86,90,94,98,102,106,110,114,118,122,126,130,131,132,136,140,144,148,152,156],{"id":53,"name":54,"slug":55},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":58,"name":59,"slug":60},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":62,"name":63,"slug":64},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":66,"name":67,"slug":68},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":70,"name":71,"slug":72},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":75,"name":76,"slug":77},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":79,"name":80,"slug":81},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":87,"name":88,"slug":89},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":91,"name":92,"slug":93},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":95,"name":96,"slug":97},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":99,"name":100,"slug":101},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":103,"name":104,"slug":105},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy",{"id":107,"name":108,"slug":109},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":111,"name":112,"slug":113},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":115,"name":116,"slug":117},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":119,"name":120,"slug":121},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":123,"name":124,"slug":125},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":127,"name":128,"slug":129},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},{"id":30,"name":31,"slug":32},{"id":133,"name":134,"slug":135},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":137,"name":138,"slug":139},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":141,"name":142,"slug":143},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":145,"name":146,"slug":147},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":149,"name":150,"slug":151},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":153,"name":154,"slug":155},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":157,"name":158,"slug":159},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]