According to Trulia and other real estate experts, in 2014 Repeat Buyers will take center stage. 2013 may have been the year of the investor, but 2014 will be the year of the repeat home buyer. Investors buy less as home prices rise: higher prices mean that the return on investment falls, and there’s less room for future price appreciation. Who will fill the gap? Not first-time buyers: saving for a down payment and having a stable job remain significant burdens, and declining affordability is also a big hurdle for first-timers. Who’s left? Repeat buyers: they’re less discouraged by rising prices than either investors or first-time buyers because the home they already own has also risen in value. Also, the down payment is less of a challenge for repeat buyers if they have equity in their current home.

See the chart below about the biggest obstacles to homeownership