Mass. housing market drew first-time buyers

Globe Staff

Roughly half the homes purchased in Massachusetts during 2009 were bought by first-time buyers, up 5 percent from 2008, according to a study by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors said.

Nationwide, 47 percent of homes purchased during 2009 were bought by first-time buyers, the Massachusetts association said.

"The study echoed what many members had been hearing from their clients that the combination of more affordable prices, historically-low interest rates, and the availability of the first-time home buyer tax credit all worked together to get first-time home buyers back into the market," Massachusetts Association of Realtors president Kevin Sears said in a statement.