Thanks to low interest rates and a little known housing program making a big impact, this is a great time to buy a home. The Housing Acquisition & Rehabilitation Program (HARP), administered by VHFA, is helping qualified home buyers purchase beautifully restored and energy efficient homes.

Between January and June, the median price of a primary home sold in Vermont was about 4% lower than it had been in 2013. Statewide, the median price dipped to $192,250 from $200,000 in 2013.

A new paper was released today that highlights the intersection of affordable housing and education, and the benefits that an affordable home provides kids in terms of their ability to learn in school. In the report, Rebecca Haslam, an elementary school teacher, is quoted saying, "Kids experiencing housing challenges feel disconnected from their communities, which is even more damaging to their ability to access the academics... they're just not ready."

Vermont was placed among states with the fewest apartments available for deeply low-income renters by a recent study from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition.  For every 100 renters in the state, only 11 units are affordable and available to renters making less than 15% of the area median income, the researchers estimated.