: Spend no more than 30% of your gross income on housing, have 30% of the home's value in savings, and limit the total home price to 3x your annual income.

Based on analysis from Zillow and AmeriSave , these locations offer the highest share of affordable listings: Top Affordable Cities Typical Home Value Top Affordable States Median Home Price West Virginia Detroit, MI Arkansas (Prices Dropping) St. Louis, MO Mississippi (Lowest Payments) Buffalo, NY Alabama (Lowest Taxes) Strategic Buying Programs

If you are looking for unconventional ways to lower the purchase price, consider these specific programs:

: The HUD Dollar Homes initiative allows local governments to purchase qualified homes for just $1 to create housing for low-to-moderate-income families.

: Even in expensive states like California, specific northern counties like Del Norte ($230,000) and Lassen ($274,500) offer prices significantly below the state median. Affordability Rules of Thumb

Where To Buy Cheap Homes — Quick

: Spend no more than 30% of your gross income on housing, have 30% of the home's value in savings, and limit the total home price to 3x your annual income.

If you are looking for unconventional ways to lower the purchase price, consider these specific programs:

: The HUD Dollar Homes initiative allows local governments to purchase qualified homes for just $1 to create housing for low-to-moderate-income families.

: Even in expensive states like California, specific northern counties like Del Norte ($230,000) and Lassen ($274,500) offer prices significantly below the state median. Affordability Rules of Thumb