Millennials Search for Unconventional Down Payment Funds, but at What Cost?
We’ve had several questions from customers recently about unconventional down payment funds, and wanted to share this information with you to potentially help you out! Interested in looking for your first home in the greater Athens area? Submit a request for contact or give us a call today! We’d be happy to walk you through the first time home buyer process and know what to plan on throughout the process!
Information and photo via Keller Williams
By Liz Dominguez 
Rising home prices are standing in the way of millennials who want to buy their first home; however, these challenges are being overcome via some unconventional methods. Millennials are getting creative and finding sources for their down payment by any means necessary. But are these methods hurting the millennial generation financially?
Borrowing from family: Sure, gifted money doesn’t sound bad. But what if the families don’t have the cash to give? Instead, buyers are asking that their parents’ home be refinanced, using the home equity as a way to fund their own home purchase.
Of course, this can be beneficial in multiple-offer situations to get a competitive edge with an all-cash offer, but borrowing from a relative can go south fast. Not being able to pay a bank back can have repercussions like lowering a credit score, but missed payments to a relative can damage familial relations. Is it worth the risk?
Crowdfunding: There are new crowdfunding platforms being introduced every year, and more of them are tapping into the real estate industry. This can be a great way to amass gifted money from friends and family, but not everyone may see it that way. Instead of crowdfunding for their honeymoon, newlyweds are asking their wedding guests to donate toward their first home.
This method can get complicated in the lending world. Buyers will need to look into gifting regulations before accepting any gifted money.
The National Association of REALTORS® reported home sales at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of approximately 5.5 million homes during the month of October. This was an increase of 2.0 percent from September and a decrease of 0.9 percent from October of last year.
The median home price decreased to $247,000 in October, which was down 0.2 percent from September and up 5.5 percent from October of last year. The median home price has increased by approximately $12,900 in the past year alone.
There was a 3.9-month supply of housing inventory in October, which was a 7.1 percent decrease from September. The total number of available homes for sale has decreased by 11.4 percent compared to October of last year.
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