Housing Slowdown Doesn’t Scare First-Time Buyers March 4, 2019 Despite recent declines in home sales, sluggish growth in single-family home construction, and mounting affordability concerns, first-time buyers are outperforming other segments of the market, according to a new report released by Genworth Mortgage Insurance. “The first-time home buyer market has been more resilient during the [housing] slowdown compared to repeat buyers,” writes Tian Liu, chief economist at Genworth Mortgage Insurance. About 482,000 first-time buyers purchased homes in the fourth quarter of 2018. Though that’s 3 percent lower than a year ago, it bests the 7 percent year-over-year decline in repeat buyer activity, according to the report. “This is a reminder that first-time home buyers differ from other buyer groups in terms of why they buy,” Liu notes. “Their purchase decisions are more likely driven by the fact that many are starting families and reaching peak homebuying ages. Even