05/30/2026
The average homeowner is worth $430,000.
The average renter is worth $10,000.
That’s 43 times more. And it’s not because homeowners earn more.
I’ve sat across from renters who out-earn the homeowners three blocks over. Same income. Same city. 43x less wealth.
The difference is one thing: one of them started building equity. The other kept paying off a landlord’s mortgage.
Here’s the part that actually matters for you. You don’t need to be rich to start. You need to know the real path. So here it is:
1. You don’t need 20% down. That’s the myth that keeps renters renting. FHA loans start at 3.5% down. Some conventional programs go to 3%. On a $400K home, that’s the difference between saving $80,000 and saving $14,000.
2. You don’t need perfect credit. You need a lender who knows which program fits your file. Self-employed, 1099, thin credit, recent job change. There’s almost always a path. Most people just ask the wrong lender.
3. Down payment assistance is real and most renters never check. Florida has programs that help cover the down payment and closing costs for first-time buyers. Free money people leave on the table because nobody told them.
4. Start with the number, not the listing. Before you fall in love with a house, find out what you actually qualify for. It’s usually more than you think, and it costs nothing to find out.
The right time to buy was never about a perfect market. It was about starting the clock on your own equity instead of someone else’s.
If you’ve been renting and saying “next year” for a few years now, let’s run YOUR numbers. Not headline numbers. Yours.
DM “READY” and I’ll map out exactly what buying looks like for your situation, including which programs you’d qualify for.
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, via NAR 2025.
