One of the housing market’s biggest advantages is starting to disappear

When it comes to buying a house, cash is king—but that might be starting to change. In a new report, Realtor.com found that cash sales are finally on the decline after the pandemic-era boom created a flurry of buyers paying for homes outright rather than with financing. In the first quarter of 2026, cash sales made up 31.4% of home purchases, down a percentage point from the year prior. While home sales slowed broadly from 2025 to 2026, cash sales showed an even more pronounced slowdown. Home sales fell by 8.5% across the board, while cash sales fell by 11.2% during the same period, outpaci...