The American dream of homeownership, long a symbol of stability, achievement, and upward mobility, is facing unprecedented challenges as the median age of the average first-time homebuyer in the United States has soared to 40 years old, according to newly released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

A year ago, the median age was 38 years old, and that’s up from 36 in 2022, 33 in 2020 and 28 in 1991.

“It’s kind of a shocking number,” said Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research at NAR. “And it’s really been in recent years that we’ve seen this steep climb.”

This age milestone marks an era where the affordability crisis is fundamentally reshaping the housing landscape and delaying access to the benefits of homeownership for millions of A

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