A generation ago the typical first-time American homebuyer was in their late twenties; today, NAR says the median has hit a record 40, priced out and waiting — and first-time buyers now make up the smallest share of the market ever measured
The obvious reading of a first-time homebuyer reaching a median age of 40 is that young Americans are waiting longer by choice, renting into their late thirties, delaying the whole project of settling down.