The share of homebuyers who bought a property with all cash hit its highest level in 2026, accounting for 10 percent of all first-time buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
“These all-cash buyers were more likely than financed buyers to obtain funds from a cash inheritance, an inherited property, or financial assets,” NAR said in a Nov. 5 statement.
First-time homebuyers who made all-cash purchases were older, with a median age of 54, compared with a median age of 38 among first-time buyers who bought homes with financing.
The average weekly rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 7.18 percent for the week ending Nov. 4, according to data from Freddie Mac. The weekly rate has remained at or above 6 percent every week this year, except one. This has made buying a home with a mortgage expensive. …