A strengthening U.S. economy, rising home values and the ongoing stretch of job creation sparked both growing demand and ability to purchase a home over the past year.

While supply and affordability constraints are indeed making home buying a challenging endeavor for many households, data from the National Association of Realtors®’ 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reveals some hopeful news: an overwhelming majority of successful buyers obtained a mortgage and made a down payment of less than 20%.

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