Are you buying a home for the first time in Albuquerque and trying to figure out how to save for that crucial down payment? You’re certainly in good company. Saving for a down payment is a struggle that many first time buyers have. But younger buyers have been getting creative, suing modern methods to help save money.

One creative way that young buyers have been using to save money is crowd sourcing. This method is really starting to gain traction, and it’s a great way for family and friends to help you buy your first home in Albuquerque.

Here’s how they do it. When the young couple gets married, instead of a wedding registry or buying traditional gifts, they invite guests to contribute to a “Down Payment Fund.” The new couple may already have the things they need to start a new life. What they really need is a new home to put it all in. It’s the perfect collective wedding gift!

When you do the math, it works out, since most weddings average about 120 guests. The average gift costs about $186. That would give the new couple over $22,000 for a down payment! Of course this figure could vary greatly. But as any newly wed couple knows, anything helps. And those who contribute to the fund know it’s going to be used wisely.

And as you’ve already no doubt guesses, there’s online services to do this, such as HomeFundMe. These services make it easy for friends and family to contribute. Plus the ones contributing can decide if their gift is  ‘conditional’ or ‘non-conditional’ on the beneficiary buying a home.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article report, “about 400 borrowers have used HomeFundMe to help buy homes since the program launched in October and on average, they raise about $2,500.” The article goes on to show that these funds are used by the borrower along with their own savings to help them reach the down payment.

The other major factor helping new home buyers is programs that let first-time buyers make a down payment of as little as 3% such as with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan programs. Also, FHA programs require as little as 3.5%, and VA Loans are often approved with 0% down!

Gone are the days when you had to come up with a whopping 20% down. And with this creative solution, now even more first-time buyers in Albuquerque can make owning a home a dream come true.