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Realtor.com data shows rise in web searches by house hunters who want to buy in 2017
By Laura Kusisto | The Wall Street Journal
Young buyers could return to the housing market in droves this spring, according to a report due to be released Wednesday.
First-time home buyers now make up 52% of prospective buyers looking to purchase in 2017, up from 33% a year earlier, according to an analysis of web searches performed by Realtor.com, a real-estate listing website.
Buyers typically begin searching several months in advance, so the jump in activity could translate to increased purchases by first-timers in the spring and summer of next year.