About 1 in 3 homes sold in the first half of 2025 were paid for in all cash, a new Realtor.com report found. While that percentage is slightly down from the year prior, it’s well above pre-2020 levels.
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“Cash buyers have long been a fixture in the market, but their influence is more pronounced today than in pre-pandemic years,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a press release.
“High-wealth buyers, investors and those with significant equity can move quickly and often win out in competitive situations,” she continued. “For traditional, mortgage-reliant buyers, this can add another hurdle in an already challenging affordability environment.”
Cash buying is more prevalent in some markets than others — and in these six cities, cash is rapidly becoming king, with all-cash offers outpacing the national average.
1. Miami
- Cash sales share: 43%
2. San Antonio
- Cash sales share: 39.6%
3. Kansas City, Kansas
- Cash sales share: 39.2%
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4. Birmingham, Alabama
- Cash sales share: 38.8%
5. Houston
- Cash sales share: 38.8%
6. St. Louis
- Cash sales share: 38.1%
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Cities Where Paying Cash for a Home Is Becoming the New Normal
