Average Down Payment For U.S Home Purchase Reaches New High of $76,645

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According to ATTOM Data Solutions Q3 2017 U.S. Residential Property Loan Origination Report, the median down payment for single family homes and condos purchased with financing in the third quarter was $20,000, up from $18,161 in the previous quarter and up from $14,400 in Q3 2016 to a new high as far back as data is available, Q1 2000. The average down payment also rose to a new high of $76,645 in Q3, 2017.

The loan origination report is derived from publicly recorded mortgages and deeds of trust collected by ATTOM Data Solutions in more than 1,700 counties accounting for more than 87 percent of the U.S. population. Counts and dollar volumes for the two most recent quarters are projected based on available data at the time of the report (see full methodology below).

The average down payment of $20,000 was 7.6 percent of the median sales price of $263,000 for financed home purchases in the third quarter, up from 7.1 percent in the previous quarter and up from 6.1 percent in Q3 2016 to the highest level since Q3 2013 -- a four-year high.

"Buying a home has become a full-contact sport in many markets across the country, and buyers with the beefiest down payments -- not to mention all-cash buyers -- are often able to muscle out those with scrawnier savings," said Daren Blomquist, senior vice president with ATTOM Data Solutions. "Despite the increasingly competitive nature of homebuying, the number of residential property purchase loans nationwide increased to a 10-year high in the third quarter."

Median down payment tops $50,000 in a dozen markets

The median down payment was more than $50,000 in 12 of the 99 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report, led by San Jose California ($247,000); San Francisco, California ($170,000); Los Angeles, California ($118,000); Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California ($105,000); and Boulder, Colorado ($99,900).

"Across Southern California factors such as low available listing inventory have resulted in many consumers turning to cash or leveraging investment accounts for cash as alternative methods for funding home ownership and beating out competitors for acceptance of their purchase offers in a highly competitive market," said Michael Mahon president at First Team Real Estate, covering the Southern California market.

Other markets with median down payments above $50,000 were San Diego, California; New York, New York; Fort Collins, Colorado; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Boston, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; and Naples, Florida.

"Rising home prices in the Seattle area combined with changes in the mortgage underwriting process have pushed the median down payment over $50,000 and the average down payment to over $100,000," said Matthew Gardner, chief economist at Windermere Real Estate, covering the Seattle market. "We've also seen an increase in new mortgages which is an indication of rising home sales. Most interesting to me is the big jump in new lines of credit which is likely a result of frustrated buyers deciding to stay in their existing homes and remodel rather than deal with the highly competitive Seattle housing market."

Purchase and HELOC originations increase, refinance originations down

Nearly 2.4 million loans (2,386,518) secured by residential property (1 to 4 units) were originated in the third quarter, up 17 percent from the previous quarter but still down 5 percent from a year ago.

Of the total 2.4 million loan originations during the quarter, nearly 1.1 million were purchase loans (1,011,144), up 8 percent from the previous quarter and up 7 percent from a year ago to the highest level since Q3 2007 -- a 10-year high.

A total of 981,773 refinance loans secured by residential property were originated in the third quarter, up 28 percent from the previous quarter but still down 19 percent from a year ago.

A total of 393,602 home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) secured by residential property were originated in the third quarter, up 19 percent from the previous quarter and up 12 percent from a year ago to the highest level since Q2 2008, a more than nine-year high.

Raleigh, New York, Roanoke, Honolulu, Little Rock post biggest purchase loan increases

Among 120 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report for loan origination trends, those with the biggest increase in purchase loan originations secured by residential property were Raleigh, North Carolina (up 55 percent); New York, New York (up 39 percent); Roanoke, Virginia (up 39 percent); Honolulu, Hawaii (up 38 percent); and Little Rock, Arkansas (up 34 percent).

Counter to the national trend, 58 of the 120 metro areas analyzed in the report (48 percent) posted a year-over-year decrease in residential property purchase loan originations, including Houston (down 10 percent); Miami (down 6 percent); Atlanta (down 15 percent); Boston (down 7 percent); and Detroit (down 7 percent).

San Jose, Honolulu, Rochester, San Diego, Bridgeport post biggest refi loan decreases

Among 120 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report for loan origination trends, those with the biggest year-over-year decrease in residential property refinance loan originations were San Jose, California (down 58 percent); Honolulu, Hawaii (down 56 percent); Rochester, New York (down 49 percent); San Diego, California (down 49 percent); and Bridgeport, Connecticut (down 48 percent).

Counter to the national trend, 22 of the 120 metro areas analyzed in the report (18 percent) posted year-over-year increases in residential property refinance loan originations, including New York (up 7 percent); Kansas City (up 15 percent); Oklahoma City (up 51 percent); Raleigh, North Carolina (up 2 percent); and Grand Rapids, Michigan (up 6 percent).

Reno, Fort Wayne, Peoria, Bremerton, Dallas post biggest HELOC increases

Among 120 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report, those with the biggest year-over-year increase in residential property HELOC loan originations were Reno, Nevada (up 80 percent); Fort Wayne, Indiana (up 74 percent); Peoria, Illinois (up 46 percent); Bremerton, Washington (up 45 percent); and Dallas, Texas (up 43 percent).

Counter to the national trend, 43 of the 120 metro areas analyzed in the report (36 percent) posted a year-over-year decrease in HELOC loan originations, including Houston (down 17 percent); Miami (down 3 percent); Atlanta (down 6 percent); San Francisco (down 1 percent); and St. Louis (down 4 percent).

Share of co-borrowers increases in 87 percent of markets

The report also found that 23.4 percent of all purchase loan originations on single family homes in Q3 2017 involved co-borrowers -- multiple, non-married borrowers listed on the mortgage or deed of trust -- up from 22.8 percent in the previous quarter and up from 21.1 percent in Q3 2016.

The share of co-borrowers increased from a year ago in 33 of 38 U.S. cities analyzed in the report (87 percent), including Las Vegas, Nevada; Houston, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Counter to the national trend, the share of co-borrowers decreased from a year ago in five markets: Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Miami, Florida; Aurora, Colorado; and Memphis, Tennessee.

Cities with the highest share of co-borrowers in Q3 2017 were San Jose, California (51.1 percent); Miami, Florida (42.7 percent); Seattle, Washington (36.7 percent); Los Angeles, California (30.4 percent); and Portland, Oregon (30.1 percent).

Share of FHA and VA loans drops from a year ago

Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) accounted for 12.9 percent of all residential property loans originated in the third quarter, down from 13.6 percent in the previous quarter and down from 13.2 percent in Q3 2016.

Loans backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accounted for 6.6 percent of all residential property loans originated in the third quarter, up from 6.5 percent in the previous quarter but down from 7.5 percent in Q3 2016.