# America’s first-time homebuyers are increasingly paying all cash — as median age remains at 40

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/americas-first-time-homebuyers-are-increasingly-paying-all-cash-as-median-age-remains-at-40/
- Published: 2026-11-10T20:01:34+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T20:22:51+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/10/real-estate/americas-first-time-homebuyers-are-increasingly-paying-all-cash/
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- A record 10% of first-time buyers paid cash.
- The median first-home buyer age remains 40.
- Inheritance helped 28% of cash-paying first-time buyers.

## Summary

A record 10% of Americans buying their first home paid entirely in cash over the past year, while the median age of first-time buyers remained at 40, a record high. The figures point to a housing market increasingly shaped by inherited wealth and accumulated assets, as many would-be buyers struggle with affordability.

The National Association of Realtors surveyed buyers who purchased primary residences from July 2025 to June 2026. First-time buyers made up 22% of purchases, still far below the pre-2008 norm of 40%; cash-paying first-time buyers had a median age of 54, compared with 38 for those using a mortgage, and were more likely to use an inheritance. Overall, 62% of first-time buyers used personal savings for a deposit, while 25% received help from family or friends.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.