New national numbers landed this week, and they explain something I see in my office constantly: good, qualified people who think they’re “behind schedule” on buying a house. They’re not. The schedule changed.
The numbers that just came out
The National Association of Realtors released its 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers on November 5, and a few lines jumped out:
- The median first-time buyer is now 40 years old — matching last year’s all-time record. In 1981, the typical first-time buyer was in their late 20s.
- First-time buyers made up just 22% of all buyers nationally, up only slightly from last year’s record-low 21%. Historically that share ran closer to 40%.
- A record 10% of first-time buyers paid all cash — the highest share ever recorded — and NAR found those cash buyers were far more likely to have used an inheritance, an inherited property, or other family financial assets to do it. Buyers who financed their purchase had a median age of 38; buyers who paid cash had a median age of 54.
- The median repeat buyer is now 62, versus 36 back in 1981.
Why this isn’t really an age story
Read those numbers again and a pattern shows up: the buyers getting in younger are, disproportionately, the ones with a check from a parent, a grandparent, or an estate behind them. The buyers without one are waiting — saving, waiting for a raise, waiting for “someday” — until they’re pushing 40 or later.
That’s not a character flaw and it’s not bad luck. It’s math. A 20% down payment on a $400,000 DFW home is $80,000 before closing costs — a decade-plus of “almost there” for households who could otherwise carry the mortgage payment just fine. Waiting for an inheritance isn’t a plan. It’s a hope, and it isn’t available to everyone who deserves a house.
The DFW math, if you’re not waiting on a check
Here’s what the same $400,000 home looks like three ways, at today’s roughly 7.2% rate:
| Path | Cash needed at closing | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|
| Save 20% the traditional way | ~$80,000 + closing costs | $2,194 on a $320K loan |
| FHA, 3.5% down | ~$14,000 + closing costs | $2,632 on a $386K loan |
| 0% down + down payment assistance (primary residence) | ~$0–$3,000 | ~$2,742 on a $400K loan |
The 0%-down payment runs about $550 more a month than the 20%-down payment — but it’s $80,000 less you need sitting in a bank account before anyone hands you keys. For a lot of the buyers in that NAR report who don’t have a family check coming, that trade is the difference between buying this year and buying in your late 40s.
It gets better if the house needs work
The homes priced for a first-time budget in DFW are rarely the fully updated ones — they’re the ones with the dated kitchen and carpet nobody’s replaced in years. Our 0% down + up to $70,000 renovation program rolls the purchase and the fix-up into one loan, one closing: the appraisal is based on the home’s value after the work, down payment assistance covers what you’d normally bring, and a licensed, insured contractor does the work (starting within 30 days of closing, done within 9 months). Credit from 580, no first-time-buyer requirement — which matters, since plenty of buyers in this report aren’t first-timers at all, just 50-something homeowners starting over. See how it works →
And if you’re buying with a sibling, a parent, or a roommate to split the payment — unmarried households are now a meaningful share of all buyers — our down payment assistance welcomes co-borrowers and gift funds, no income cap. Down payment assistance details →
If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll buy “once we’ve saved more,” run the real numbers with us first. The gap between your savings and a 20% down payment is often smaller than the gap a 0%-down program closes today. You don’t need an inheritance. You need the right loan.
🎯 The Néstor Caussade Team can help
If you’re buying, building, flipping or refinancing anywhere in Dallas–Fort Worth or across Texas, this is what we do all day. DFW Mortgage Pros — The Néstor Caussade Team is DFW’s authority on construction loans, fix & flip and rehab lending for investors, and the go-to team for first-time buyers who want 0% down with up to $70K to renovate their own home. Thirteen years of closing the deals other lenders turn down, in English, Spanish and ASL. Free consultations on buying, investing, refinancing and lowering your rate — especially if you’ve been told no somewhere else.
Bottom line
- NAR’s new 2026 report: median first-time buyer age is 40, tied with last year’s record; first-timers are just 22% of all buyers
- A record 10% of first-timers paid all cash, often funded by inheritance or family assets — that’s not an option for most buyers
- A $400K DFW home: ~$2,194/mo with 20% down (and $80K cash) vs. ~$2,742/mo with 0% down (and almost no cash) — the real tradeoff is cash, not qualification
- Our 0% down + up to $70K renovation program and down payment assistance don’t require a first-time buyer, a spotless credit score, or a wait for family money
- Co-borrowers, gift funds and unmarried households are welcome — you don’t need to buy the traditional way to buy the right way
See what you qualify for in 2 minutes — no credit pull, a real person follows up. Or text me at 817-697-4281 and tell me what’s actually standing between you and a house. Hablo español.
Rates and programs shown are examples, change without notice and are not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval. NMLS #1538512 · NXT Mortgage, a division of NEXA Mortgage, LLC, NMLS #1660690. Equal Housing Opportunity.
