A record number of first-time home buyers now pay in cash. Here’s where they get the money.

MarketWatch · Aarthi Swaminathan · 2026-11-05 15:00 UTC

The median age of a first-time home buyer is 40, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The median age of a first-time home buyer is 40, according to the National Association of Realtors.

In Short Hills, N.J., an affluent suburb of New York City where many homes sell for more than their asking price, real-estate agent Chrissy Schwartz’s buyer clients have been getting creative with their all-cash offers.

In addition to going over the asking price, some offer to pay the seller’s agent’s commission, as well as to cover the so-called mansion tax, which sellers in New Jersey pay on homes with a purchase price of over $1 million.

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