Two Valley cities are among the top 10 best places in the nation for first-time homebuyers, according to a new report from finance website WalletHub. Another report shows home prices continuing to decline in the Phoenix metro, though some neighborhoods continue to buck those trends. And click through the Business Journal's exclusive ranking of the 50 neighborhoods most sought-after by homebuyers.

The 177-unit Parker building is at 1447 N.W. 12th Ave.

Anna Vavruska and her husband would like to sell the home they purchased in the Sunnyside neighborhood at the start of the pandemic. But that would require a trade-off they aren’t willing to accept — a much higher mortgage payment.

“Since we had a child, we definitely have thought about leaving central Denver, but it is not a good time. Even though we have equity in our home, we would still need to take on another mortgage,” Vavruska said.

Instead of a 3% mortgage rate that now makes for a manageable monthly payment, they would be staring at something between 6.5% to 7%.

Likewise, Tyler Bellis and his wife, Shayla, wouldn’t mind switching out the central Aurora home they acquired in 2018 for something roomier as they prepare to start a family.

Yet, swapping out the low 2.7% rate they have on their mortgage for one at today’s rates would boost their monthly payment by $600 to $700 — even after slapping 31% down on the next property.

“We would be downgrading at this point,” Bellis s..

The 10-highest priced residential sales collected the week ending July 14 from Guilford, Forsyth, Alamance, Randolph and Davidson counties.