Coming up with an adequate down payment can be an obstacle for home buyers. After all, it’s a lot of money to have on hand. These days, that’s especially true. That’s why it may be good news for buyers that the average down payment has fallen for the first time since 2020. According to a recent analysis from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, the average down payment during the first quarter of this year was 13 percent, that’s down slightly from 13.1 percent last year at the same time. That may not seem like much but considering the previous years’ increases, it represents a break for prospective home buyers. Clare Trapasso, the website’s executive news editor, says affordability is still a challenge but buyers have a little more negotiating power this year. “As buyers’ budgets are being stretched to the max, there are opportunities for negotiation, especially on homes that have been sitting on the market for a while,” Trapasso said. “They can ask sellers to come down on the price, make costly repairs, as well as contribute to their closing costs or buy down their mortgage rates.” (source)