Zillow: The Odds Seem Stacked Against Single Homebuyers

Feb 12, 2018

More potential homeowners were checking out home loans, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association for the week ending June 15

A single homebuyer needs to devote 11 years to savings for a 20 percent downpayment on the typical U.S. home, while married or partnered couples require less than five years, according to a new Zillow analysis.

Of course, some markets require a lot more time for the downpayment savings to be completed. In San Jose, for example, a single buyer would need more than 30 years to save for a downpayment—which, ironically, is a longer period than the typical conventional mortgage. At the other end of the spectrum, would-be single homebuyers in Indianapolis only need eight years to complete their downpayment savings.

On the whole, single homebuyers have a tougher time obtaining a new house: Zillow estimated that a single person could afford to buy only 45 percent of today’s housing stock, while married or partnered coupled can afford 82 percent. Some markets are skewered too heavily against single people. In Portland, 73 percent of homes are affordable to a couple, but only six percent are affordable to a single buyer. For Sacramento, Calif. buyers, a couple could afford 75 percent of homes while a single homebuyer could afford eight percent of homes.

"Nearly two-thirds of Americans agree that buying a home is a central part of living the American Dream, but for unmarried or un-partnered Americans, that dream is increasingly out of reach," said Zillow Senior Economist Aaron Terrazas. "Single buyers typically have more limited budgets, which means they are likely competing for lower-priced homes that are in high demand. Having two incomes allows buyers to compete in higher priced tiers where competition is not as stiff."

About the author

Phil Hall

Link copied

Published

Feb 12, 2018

Regulation and Compliance

Mortgage AI Survey Finds Monitoring Gap At Smaller Lenders

Only 40% of smaller lenders surveyed reported ongoing AI monitoring, compared with 80% of larger lenders, as a new state examiner guide details the records regulators may request

Mortgage companies have been putting AI policies in place. Keeping watch over the tools after they go live is proving less consistent, particularly among smaller lenders.A new survey by the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR), the Mortgage Bankers...

Operations

Can AI Crack The Mortgage Approval Gap?

A company white paper links lower decline rates to its AI-enabled workflow, then estimates the potential lending volume if those rates held nationwide.

Mortgage applications processed through AngelAi at Sun West Mortgage had substantially lower decline rates in 2025 than applications in the national market, according to a new company white paper. The gap appeared across Asian, Black, Hispanic, and white applicant groups.Sun...

Oct

Denver, CO

More from

Industry News

Rocket Makes VantageScore Its Default After Testing Finds Borrower Savings

After four months of testing, Rocket will make VantageScore 4.0 its preferred model for eligible retail loans while keeping both scoring options available to brokers

Industry News

Sep 29, 2026

CHLA: More Freddie Mac MBS Buying Could Narrow Mortgage Spreads

Trade group estimates greater Freddie participation could compress spreads another 10 to 12 basis points as Fannie has taken the lead in GSE mortgage-bond buying

Industry News

Sep 23, 2026

Early Loan-Limit Race Splits Into Three Tiers

Lenders are now offering $845,000, $847,440, or $850,000 before FHFA sets the official 2027 limits

Industry News

Sep 23, 2026

Better, Garg Clash Over Claimed 46% Shareholder Support

Better disputes its former CEO’s preliminary consent count as the two sides trade accusations and an Oct. 2 target date approaches

C-Suite Strategies

Sep 23, 2026

Fannie Changes How Rent From A Former Home Counts

Fannie now prohibits leases for departing residences and permits market-analysis tools instead of Form 1007, creating a key documentation difference from Freddie Mac

Regulation and Compliance

Sep 22, 2026