First Home Buyers Need A Decade For Deposit

Just over one in 10 (11%) of first home buyers now need to save for more than 10 years before breaking into the housing market.

A poll of 1028 first home buyers by comparison website Finder.com indicated that would-be buyers are taking longer to reach the 20% deposit threshold as the average deposit reaches six figures amid booming property prices.

One in four need between five and 10 years, nearly two in five (38%) need between two and five years, while only 7% manager to save the deposit within a year.

According to Finder, the required deposit for an average loan had risen by 16 per cent nationally in just two years, reversing any deposit affordability gains and taking the national average deposit price to $106,743.

First home buyers in NSW require $128,469 and $113,092 in Victoria. The average deposit in Tasmania has climbed to $81,438, to $85,710 in South Australia, to $95,784 in Queensland and to $92,784 in Western Australia.

“While low interest rates mean the cost of paying your mortgage each month has come down, rising property prices are lengthening the amount of time required to save for a deposit,” Finder spokeswoman Sarah Meggison said.

Further, more than half of first home buyers (53%) indicated they are spending more than 30 per cent of their income on their mortgage repayments, a sign of mortgage stress.

A Mid-Century Modern home in Carmel, California, hit the market on Friday for just the third time in 70 years with a listing price of $4.25 million.

Located in the community of Carmel Highlands, the house is just steps from the coastline and comes with private beach access, according to the listing with Tim Allen of Coldwell Banker Realty in Northern California. Allen was not immediately available for comment.

The property last changed hands in 2010 when Hollywood screenwriter Richard Outten bought it for $990,000, public records show. Outten penned the screenplays for the 1992 movie “Pet Sematary Two” and the 1987 film “Lionheart,” and created the story for the 2012 “Journey to the Center of the Earth” sequel, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” He was not immediately available for comment.

Built in 1953, the home’s mid-century charm has been preserved over the years while still being updated for modern living. Interior details include wood paneling, exposed-brick walls and beamed ceilings.

The single-level house has 1,785 square feet, which includes three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Though not directly on the water, large windows flanking the adobe-brick, wood-burning fireplace look out at the ocean.

Sliding glass doors create a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor living. Outside, there’s a large patio surrounded by lush landscaping, and there are also meandering paths through sustainable succulent gardens, according to the listing.

In addition to its close proximity to the beach, the home is a 10-minute walk from downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.

As of July, the median list price in Carmel is $3.1 million, up 8% from last year, even as active listings have increased 50% year over year, according to data from Realtor.com.

First Home Buyers Need A Decade For Deposit

With housing prices on the rise, so too are the deposit demands.

Owned by Richard Outten, who’s penned screenplays for films including “Pet Sematary Two” and “Lionheart,” this is only the third time the home has been on the market