Despite rising prices and limited choices, a new study shows that central Florida is the best place in the nation for first-time homebuyers.
The study, done by online real estate database Zillow, says Orlando is number one and Tampa Bay number two when it comes to easiest metros to score that first house.
Metros across America were ranked by several factors including number of available homes, cost of renting versus buying, and number of homes with price cuts.
The study concludes that relatively speaking, central Florida is better for first time buyers than the Northeast and West Coast, where prices are astronomical.
Florida Realtors says the average home in Tampa Bay sells for $214 thousand, a 14.5 percent increase in just the past year.
The good news is, some central Florida sellers are cutting their asking prices to put their home within reach of someone, including first-time buyers, which are largely made up of millennials.
As usual, experts say the big obstacle to buying a home is saving enough for the down payment.
But Florida does have down payment assistance programs including the Hardest Hit Fund, which pays up to $15 thousand down and closing costs in Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties.
After Orlando and Tampa, the best markets for first time homebuyers are Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and San Antonio.
