Phoenix continues to drop on the list of most affordable places to live, now ranking as the 19th least expensive metro area in the United States.
That ranking comes courtesy of HSH.com, a national mortgage firm that indicates where buyers earning the median income are able to best afford a median-priced home.
Despite that, experts say you only need to make about $50,000 to buy an average-priced home in the Valley. Holly Henbest, a real estate agent, says the average price of a home in Arizona this month is $244,000.
“November was incredibly busy,” Henbest said of homes sales.
She estimates a house will cost 5 percent more than it did at the beginning of the year, and it’s not stopping buyers.
Experts say a family can actually find affordable home loans because of low interest rates.
However, Jim Hutelmyer, a mortgage loan officer, says a good deal on a loan depends on the loanee's credit score, their amount of debt and the down payment on the house.
“So if someone comes out and they have no mortgage, great credit, say they have 10 percent down -- that’s gonna a put you at about a $375,000 max sales price,” said Hutelmyer.
He verified that someone on a $50,000 annual income can easily afford to buy an average price home in the Valley.