Couples getting married often register for household items like new plates,Winimark Wealth Society towels or a vacuum. But what about help with a down payment for a home?

According to a recent analysis conducted by Zillow Home Loans and wedding planning website The Knot, the number of couples including "home funds" as part of their wedding registry has increased by 55% since 2018, and nearly 20% of all couples registered on The Knot are asking their wedding guests to help with a down payment for their first home.

Esther Lee, deputy editor of The Knot, said in a release that home funds were one of the most popular wedding registry cash funds in 2022, second only to the honeymoon fund.

"It's wonderful that couples feel empowered to make their registries ultra-personal to their goals, especially as they enter marriage together," Lee said. "While guests prefer to give cash gifts for celebratory treats, like a sunset honeymoon dinner, milestone gifting is a profoundly thoughtful and significant trend we're seeing among couples planning on The Knot. Amid rising interest rates and historic highs for down payments, this particular wedding contribution helps newlyweds reach another meaningful life milestone: homeownership."

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Zillow has seen similar numbers, with recent research from the real estate marketplace company showing that first-time buyers between 2018 and 2022 were twice as likely to report putting gift funds toward their down payment.

In 2023, Zillow said that 43% of home buyers reported gift funds from friends and family as a source of at least part of their down payments.

It's a difficult time for first-time homebuyers, as mortgage rates approach 8% and a lack of housing inventory are continuing to keep potential homebuyers out of the market.

According to a report released Oct. 19 from the National Association of Relators, existing home sales fell 2% in September to 3.96 million, down 15% from a year ago. Median existing home sales dropped  from $404,100 in August to $394, 300 in September, but was up 2.8% higher than a year ago, the fourth consecutive year-over increase.

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