The American dream of buying a first home is taking longer than ever. The average first-time homebuyer is now 40 years old, which is an all-time high according to the National Association of Realtors. For many people, buying a first home used to happen in their 20s or early 30s. Now, St. Louis-area Realtor Dawn Griffin said it's happening much later and she's seeing it firsthand. "It's one of those things that over time, I've seen my first-time homebuyers become older and older and older.