Most consumers responding to recent poll said they would never be able to save enough for a down payment on a home.

The online poll by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that 49 percent of respondents said they wouldn’t be able to save enough money for a down payment, while 12 percent would have no troubling coming up with a 20 percent down payment.

Twenty percent said they would need a loan that allowed for a much lower down payment, and another 18 percent said they would have to borrow the down payment money regardless of how much is required.

"With the average home price in America just below $200,000, a 20 percent down payment is near $40,000, a nice chunk of change by any standard," said Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the NFCC. "Some may still be able to obtain an FHA loan with a low down-payment requirement, but those with poor credit will likely have to put a larger amount down. Even with the economy improving, considering the staggering number of people who are out of work and those whose retirement plans have been decimated, buying a home may no longer be a part of the American dream, at least not in the near future."