Homebuyers in 2024 paid an increasing amount in down payments in Massachusetts last year.
Massachusetts saw the percentage of purchase price made up by down payments remain flat at 18.6 percent, according to a new Realtor.com report, but the median size of a down payment increased by 1.6 percent to $76,969.
“The Midwest and Northeast continue to see intense buyer demand. Both suffer from relatively severe housing supply gaps due to low construction relative to buyer demand, which has driven prices higher and led to more competitive market conditions,” Hannah Jones, Realtor.com senior economic research analyst, said in a statement. “The supply gap improved only slightly in the Midwest in 2024, but continued to grow in the Northeast. Climbing prices and competitive housing conditions are likely to continue in these regions until housing supply and affordability improve.”
The New Haven, Connecticut, metro saw some of the greatest increases in the nation. The median down payment amount increased by 29.2 percent to $46,988. Connecticut saw its buyers’ median down payment amount increase by 24 percent to $51,369.
Nationally, Buyers broke records in both total down payment volume and the percentage of purchase price. Across the country, buyers’ down payments amounted to 14.4 percent of the purchase price, and the average down payment was $29,900, up from 14.2 percent and $27,200 in 2023.
“Today’s high-rate environment is reshaping the homebuying landscape,” said Jones. “Higher borrowing costs and affordability pressures have led to a market where financially prepared buyers are putting more money down, especially in competitive regions with limited inventory.”