Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
21h ago

First-Time Buyers Reach Record Age 40 as Share Sinks to 21%, NAR Report Shows

NAR links the shift to affordability pressures that favor equity-rich repeat buyers.

New single-family houses on small lots in a large suburban community developed by Taylor Morrison at the Bethany neighborhood in northwest Portland, Oregon, on May 7, 2023.
Image
Image

Overview

  • The 2025 Profile, based on completed sales from July 2024 to June 2025, draws on a large July survey of roughly 170,000 buyers.
  • Mortgage rates remain above 6% and home prices are elevated, while high rent and student debt hinder saving for down payments.
  • Among all buyers, 30% paid cash, reinforcing the edge for owners leveraging accumulated equity.
  • First-time buyers made a typical 10% down payment, matching the highest share since 1989, while repeat buyers put down a 23% median.
  • The market is aging, with the median buyer at 59, sellers’ median tenure at a record 11 years, and the typical seller age at 64.