Buying
Buying Your First Home Is a Readiness Decision, Not an Age Deadline
Buying | NAR national profile | Transactions July 2025-June 2026; released November 5, 2026
National buyer statistics describe people who purchased. They do not tell you when you should.
First-time buyers accounted for 22% of buyers in NAR's latest profile, and their median age was 40. Those figures can make a milestone feel like a timetable. They are not one.
The survey describes people who completed a purchase during its reporting period. It does not measure your readiness, set a preferred buying age or guarantee what financing you can obtain.
Build your own readiness checklist
Begin with the practical questions:
• Can you cover the upfront costs without leaving yourself unable to handle an emergency?
• Does the ongoing housing cost fit alongside your existing obligations?
• How likely are your work, household or location needs to change?
• Are you prepared for maintenance decisions and costs that a landlord may currently handle?
You do not need perfect certainty. You do need a plan that still makes sense when ordinary life becomes expensive or inconvenient.
Learn before you commit
A lender can explain available loan options and the documents needed to evaluate them. Compare estimates rather than assuming the first conversation defines your choices. If you explore assistance programs, verify their current eligibility requirements, costs and obligations directly with the provider.
Give the home itself the same attention as the financing. A manageable purchase price can become difficult if repairs or recurring expenses were overlooked.
It is reasonable to prepare now and buy later. It is also reasonable to move ahead when your numbers and circumstances support it. The most useful milestone is not matching a national median. It is understanding the commitment well enough to choose it deliberately.
The NAR profile represents primary-residence transactions, not investors or vacation-home purchases. This article is not individualized financial advice.