The housing market quietly changed — and buyers who gave up may want to look again

One small glimmer of hope for anyone hoping to buy a home soon: You might not need as much cash as you would have in years past. Down payments hit their lowest level in five years in the first three months of 2026, according to a new report from Realtor.com. The amount of cash buyers need to put down to buy a home has dropped consistently over the last year, reaching a new low that’s 19% less than this time in 2025. Dwindling down payments are a sign of a new phase in the U.S. housing mark...