According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median down payment hasn’t been over 20% since 2005. In fact, for all homebuyers today it’s only 15%. And it’s even lower for first-time homebuyers at just 8%

You should know, even with student loans, waiting to buy a home may not be necessary. While everyone’s situation is unique, your goal may be more within your reach than you realize.

If you’re planning to buy a home, knowing what to budget for and how to save may sound intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be. One way to ease those concerns is to make sure you understand some of the costs you may encounter up front.

If you’re looking to buy a home, your down payment doesn’t have to be a big hurdle and the reality is, you probably don’t need to put down as much as you think.

If you put off moving because you’re worried home prices might drop, make no mistake, they’re not going down. In fact, it's just the opposite. National data from several sources says they’ve been going up consistently this year.

Lending standards have tightened, leading to more qualified buyers who can afford to make their mortgage payments. Data from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae shows the number of homeowners who are seriously behind on their mortgage payments is declining.

Here are the top two questions you need to ask yourself about home prices and mortgage rates as you make your decision.

One of the reasons prices didn’t crash like some expected is because there aren’t enough available homes for the number of people who want to buy them. Even with today’s mortgage rates, there are more people looking to buy than there are homes available for sale.

For the vast majority of military borrowers, VA loans represent the most powerful lending program on the market. These flexible, $0-down payment mortgages have helped more than 24 million service members become homeowners since 1944.

If you’re aiming to buy a home, here’s what you need to know to accomplish that goal.