Owning a home is becoming a midlife milestone.The average first-time buyer in the U.S.

Owning a home is becoming a midlife milestone.

The average first-time buyer in the U.S. is now 56 years old - up from 33 in 1985. That's a 23-year jump in one generation.

Soaring home prices, higher rates, and flat wages have priced many Millennials and Gen Z adults out of the market.

Experts say it's one of the biggest generational shifts in housing history, as older, wealthier buyers dominate the market.

If homeownership starts this late, what happens to the idea of the "American Dream"?

Source: National Association of Realtors