Lennar Resource Center

According to a recent report from Zillow, incomes rose faster than home prices in the U.S. for the first time since 2011. This recent CNN Money article by Kathryn Vasel shares the details  from this report and what this can mean for current home hunters.

The median home price climbed to $188,100 in August, a 5% increase from the same time a year ago.

And last week, the Census Bureau reported that median household income increased to $56,516 in 2015, up 5.2% from 2014.

“People will have a chance to see more money coming in on a monthly basis in their paychecks, allowing them to save more for a down payment or afford more in a mortgage payment,” said Svenja Gudell, Zillow’s chief economist.

While the rise in income — which was the first increase since 2007 — is good news for wanna-be home buyers, incomes still have a long way to go to catch up with home values.

Home prices have shot up since 2012, as strong demand and limited supply created an affordability issue in markets throughout the country.

In the wake of the 2008 housing crisis, banks also stiffened their lending standards, including down payment requirements. Higher prices mean larger down payments, which are a major obstacle for many potential buyers.

Mortgage rates hovering near record lows have helped ease some of the price pain. The average rate of a 30-year fixed mortgage is 3.48%, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the rate was 3.86%.

[Read the full article here]