Seeking Better Homes, First-Time Buyers Battle Rising Prices in U.S.

Based on recent data from the American Housing Survey, nearly two-thirds of first-time home buyers in the U.S. say a better home is the top reason for moving, followed by household formation, 61 percent and a better neighborhood, 49 percent.
First-time home buyers make up 37 percent of all households who purchased homes in the two years preceding the release of the 2017 AHS, down from 39 percent in the 2015 AHS. The median price of homes purchased by recent home buyers, including first-time buyers and previous home owners, known as trade-up buyers, increased by 10 percent from the 2015 AHS.