According to a new study published by Apartment List, almost half of Millennials don't have enough saved for a 10% down payment on a median priced home (😬) and only about a quarter would be able to afford that in the next five years. Millennial stats aside, most renters find themselves having to decide between making rent and saving thousands to buy.

But before you renew that lease, here are obstacles standing in the way of most renters and how they can easily overcome them - for free.

1) 'Breaking leases is hard to do. '

We get it. It's a lot easier to breakup with your annoying roommate than it is with your landlord. Depending on your lease agreement, you may be required to pay multiple months of rent in the event of an early lease termination. Don't let that stop you.

THE GOOD NEWS: We'll happily negotiate for sellers to help you pay for that cost. Seriously. We've successfully done it for countless of buyers who were in the same predicament as you.

2) 'I don't want to pay for a realtor just to swindle me into buying a high-priced home.'

We'll start out with...

THE GOOD NEWS: Using any of our realtors is absolutely free! 🎉 Buyer realtors work pro bono and are paid by the sellers - not you.

Choosing a realtor who is truly an amazing realtor (and not just a car salesman with a house key) is important when starting any home search. Check out their Zillow reviews. Ask them about their most recent transactions. You deserve a swindle-free for one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. We help you take the guesswork out of it by staying transparent.

3) 'I don't have enough money.' (Obvs.)

It's a common myth that all payments are 10%. If you take advantage of an FHA Loan, your down payment could be as low as 3.5%. Buying -That's $8,750 on a $250,000 property. Renting - That same amount could be gone in a matter of months depending on your area - never to be seen again.

If you think a down payment is a lot to save up for, there are also closing cost payments that no one ever seems to talk about until they're due. 😦 They can be anywhere between 3-5% of the purchase price.

THE GOOD NEWS: Legally, sellers can't help pay for your down payment - BUT we're wickedly good at getting sellers to pay closing costs payments for our buyers. In 2018, we negotiated nearly a million dollars from sellers to give to our buyers in order to seal the deal. The truth is - sellers want to sell fast. It takes a brass-knuckled realtor to fight that hard, but we've done it time and time again.

Source: “2019 Millennial Homeownership Report: More Millennials Are Preparing for a Life of Renting,” Apartment List (Nov. 19, 2019)