When buyers hear about all-cash offers, many assume they're up against big investors with deep pockets. Some are. But a lot of today's cash buyers are regular homeowners who built up equity and are using it for their next move. And if you're buying with a mortgage, you're still in very good company.
Who Is Paying Cash?
Keeping Current Matters recently pointed to National Association of Realtors data showing that about 27 percent of homes sold in September were all-cash purchases. NAR says those buyers mostly fall into three groups: homeowners using the proceeds from a sale, second-home buyers and investors.
Equity is a big part of the story. Cotality reports that the average homeowner with a mortgage has about $310,000 in equity. That's enough for many people to buy their next home outright, or to put down a large enough payment to shrink their loan considerably.
Just as important: nearly 3 out of 4 purchases still involve financing. And according to Realtor.com, for homes priced between $200,000 and $750,000, only about 1 in 5 sold for cash. Cash is a bigger factor in some states and at the higher end of the market.
What This Means in Henderson
Most of Henderson's sales happen in exactly that mid-priced range. Here's what our MLS shows for single-family homes as of early November 2026:
- About 1,080 homes sold in Henderson over the past three months.
- About 875 of them, or roughly 8 in 10, sold for between $200,000 and $750,000.
- Those homes averaged about 2,000 square feet and roughly $265 per square foot.
So if you're financing a home in that range, you're competing mostly with other financed buyers, not a wall of cash offers. At the luxury end, in places like MacDonald Highlands or Lake Las Vegas, cash is more common.
Tips for Henderson Buyers and Sellers
- Homeowners: find out what your equity is. I can give you a free estimate of your home's value. You may be able to buy your next home with cash, or with a much smaller loan than you expect.
- Consider a partial-cash approach. Using some of your equity as a larger down payment can lower your monthly payment, even if you still borrow.
- Financed buyers: make your offer strong. A full pre-approval from a reputable local lender, a reasonable closing timeline and a clean offer can compete well with cash.
- Sellers: compare offers on more than price. A cash offer can close faster with fewer hurdles, but a well-qualified financed offer at a higher price may net you more.
Selling first? Read my post on keeping a Henderson sale on track.
Read the full article from Keeping Current Matters
Bottom Line
Cash buyers are an important part of the market, but they aren't the whole market, especially in Henderson's mid-price range. If you own a home, your equity may give you more options than you think. Let's look at your numbers together.
Market figures are from the MLS as of November 4, 2026, are rounded, and change daily. Photo: Lake Las Vegas aerial view by Carol M. Highsmith, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.