11/08/2025
First-time buyers sink to an all-time low 📉
Median age for a first-time home buyer is 40. 😳
“Unfolding in the housing market is a tale of two cities,” says Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research. “We’re seeing buyers with significant housing equity making larger down payments and all-cash offers, while first-time buyers continue to struggle to enter the market.
First-time buyers now make up just 21% of the market—the lowest share since NAR began tracking in 1981. Before 2008, they consistently accounted for about 40% of home sales. “The historically low share of first-time buyers underscores the real-world consequences of a housing market starved for affordable inventory,” Lautz says.
Those who do buy are older, too. The median age of first-time buyers has climbed to a record 40—up from the late 20s in the 1980s. High rents and student loan debt make saving for a down payment increasingly difficult. “For generations, access to homeownership has been the primary way Americans build wealth and the cornerstone of the American dream,” says Shannon McGahn, NAR executive vice president and chief advocacy officer. “Delayed or denied homeownership until age 40—instead of 30—can mean losing roughly $150,000 in equity on a typical starter home.”
In my experience I can say that the age for first-time homebuyers has risen. However, I do work with a lot of first-time homebuyers in their early thirties.
The economy for many of my buyers plays a huge role in how much they are willing to pay for a home. We need a lot more entry level homes (homes under $250k) and a more balanced/stable economy.
When working with buyers my main goal is to help them buy a home within their means. In this economy and in this housing, market buying a home that's not as big or doesn't have tons of acreage are ways to make buying a home more affordable.
There are options out there for buyers.
I'd love to chat about what your options are.
Call/text anytime!
📲 317-200-5293
Full article below.
NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report reveals the leading and emerging forces in the housing market.