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First-Time Buyer Age Climbs to 40 in U.S.

First-time U.S. homebuyers now average 40, up from 29 in 1986, as pending home sales hit a record low.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Residential

A modest single-family house with an empty driveway on a quiet street under flat overcast light, suggesting the distance first-time buyers now face to ownership.
Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian challenged Mark Cuban's affordability comparison as first-time U.S. buyers' average age climbs to 40 amid record-low pending sales. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Opendoor Technologies CEO Kaz Nejatian publicly pushed back on Mark Cuban's view of U.S. housing affordability, after Cuban compared a 1980s shared apartment rent with today's cost. OPEN stock traded up more than 1% overnight ahead of its Q3 earnings report on Nov. 5, 2026, though it has been down for five weeks and trades below $2.

Why it matters

Nejatian argued that the path from shared rental housing to homeownership has grown harder as the average first-time buyer's age has climbed from 29 in 1986 to 40 today. The debate comes as pending U.S. home sales have fallen to a record low, below levels seen in April 2020.

The first-time buyer average age rose from 29 in 1986 to 40 today, and pending U.S. home sales fell to a record low below April 2020 levels. Cuban's example split a $2,388 monthly rent six ways, at $400 per person.

The players

Opendoor Technologies

A home-buying platform whose stock trades under the OPEN ticker and which has seen its shares fall 69% year-to-date.

Kaz Nejatian

The CEO of Opendoor Technologies who challenged Cuban's housing affordability argument on X.

Mark Cuban

The entrepreneur and investor whose rent comparison sparked the debate, and a co-founder of Cost Plus Drugs.

The details

Cuban's post compared a 1980s-era unit at the Village Apartments with a 2026 price, dividing the shared rent six ways to arrive at $400 per person. Nejatian replied on X that the time-adjusted comparison had merit but argued that the step from renting to owning has become harder for people entering the market. Nejatian said he paid $200 a month in rent at age 19, a reference point he offered to illustrate how far the entry path has shifted.

Timeline

  1. 1986: average first-time homebuyer age was 29.

  2. April 2020: pending U.S. home sales were above the current record low.

  3. Monday, Nov. 2, 2026: OPEN stock traded up overnight ahead of earnings.

  4. Nov. 5, 2026: Opendoor reports Q3 earnings.

The Home Front

The rise in the average first-time buyer's age from 29 in 1986 to 40 today is the trend at the center of this exchange. Pending home sales falling to a record low, below April 2020 levels, places the current affordability argument in a weaker market for new buyers.

If you are planning to buy a first home, compare your monthly housing cost with a shared rental budget to see how the math shifts for your household. Check with a licensed mortgage lender about current options before making any decisions.

The takeaway

The buyer-age gap from 29 in 1986 to 40 today is a useful number to keep in mind when weighing a rent-versus-buy decision. Track pending home sales and first-time buyer data before committing to a purchase timeline.

What happens next

Opendoor reports its Q3 earnings on Nov. 5, 2026, which will show how the company is positioning itself amid the affordability debate.

Further reading

For more on the market behind this debate, browse our Residential coverage of home prices and buying trends across the United States.

Live Poll

Do you think now is a good time for young adults to buy a first home?