A VA loan with zero down payment lets veterans buy homes years sooner. Most first-time users pay nothing down, avoiding the $51,600 average upfront cost.

If you’re a first-time homebuyer who hasn't saved enough to make a large down payment or are concerned you might not qualify for a conventional home loan, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan could be ideal.

Many people in their 30s and 40s have been saving for a home for years. Here's how you stack up and what you may be able to do to save toward a home.

The Homes for Heroes program is for teachers, firefighters, EMS personnel, law enforcement officials, health care professionals, active-duty military members, military reservists and veterans. The program says it saves qualifying homebuyers and sellers an average of $3,000.

Redfin Real Estate looks at cities where VA loans are most common and what's behind the upward trend. Redfin Real Estate

Allen, a married semi-retiree from New York with a net worth of roughly $3 million, wanted to help his son with purchasing a home. He and his wife are looking to downsize and spend more time at their home in Florida, and since their son in Colorado needed help with a down payment, they decided to give their son a $117,000 gift (1).

Some renters in northern Ontario are turning to the rent-to-own model, where they pay an additional amount on top of their monthly rent to go toward a down payment for a house.