Due to affordability issues that force many younger families out of the market, the average first-time homebuyer in the United States is now 40 years old, a record high!

According to the National Association of Realtors®' annual profile of homebuyers and house sellers, the median age of first-time buyers increased to 40 in 2025 from 38 the previous year, and it is significantly higher than 33 just five years ago.

This year, the percentage of all house purchases made by first-time purchasers dropped to 21%, the lowest level since 1981. At the same time, cash purchasers made up a record-breaking 26% of sales. The record low share of first-time buyers emphasizes the real-world effects of a housing market starving for affordable inventory. The effects on the real estate market are profound. As a result, today's first-time homebuyers are expected to experience fewer moves during their lifetimes and are creating less housing wealth. The percentage of married couples who made their first purchase was constant at 50%, with 10% of first-time purchasers being men and 25% being women.

The median household income for first-time homeowners in 2025 was $94,400, which was marginally lower than the previous year but still much more than the $81,604 national median income.

First-time purchasers who could afford to put down cash aimed for more manageable monthly payments, and the average down payment was 10%, the highest percentage since 1989.

Unlike previous years when a gift or loan from a friend or relative was more prevalent, first-time buyers were more likely to use financial assets (26%) or personal savings (59%) for their down payment.

First-timers have to rely completely on their personal funds to put together a down payment for their home purchase without equity built up in a home that they already own and can sell. Many first-time purchasers are faced with a monthly payment they just cannot afford, so many choose to stay renters for the time being, especially with a tiny down payment and mortgage rates remaining above 6%.

Homebuyers who are compelled to postpone their first home purchase until age 40 are losing roughly $150,000 in equity on their starter house in comparison to those who buy at age 30. Inadequate housing supply is the primary cause of the affordability crisis, therefore today we need to concentrate on policies that alleviate it. Since home prices are at all-time highs and mortgage rates are high, affordability is still a major problem for first-time buyers.

Everyone is impacted by the present affordability issues in the housing market, but first-time homebuyers are particularly affected. These purchasers are absent from the housing market because many starter-level homes are staying on the market longer and getting greater price reductions, which makes it harder for those starter-home sellers to acquire more expensive properties.

The percentage of married couples who made their first purchase was constant at 50%, with 10% of first-time purchasers being men and 25% being women. The median household income for first-time homeowners in 2025 was $94,400, which was marginally lower than the previous year but still much more than the $81,604 national median income. First-time purchasers who could afford to put down cash aimed for more manageable monthly payments, and the average down payment was 10%, the highest percentage since 1989.

Unlike previous years when a gift or loan from a friend or relative was more prevalent, first-time buyers were more likely to use financial assets (26%) or personal savings (59%) for their down payment.

First-timers have to rely completely on their personal funds to put together a down payment for their home purchase without equity built up in a home that they already own and can sell. Many first-time purchasers are faced with a monthly payment they just cannot afford, so many choose to stay renters for the time being, especially with a tiny down payment and mortgage rates remaining above 6%.

Homebuyers who are compelled to postpone their first home purchase until age 40 are losing roughly $150,000 in equity on their starter house in comparison to those who buy at age 30.

Inadequate housing supply is the primary cause of the affordability crisis, therefore today we need to concentrate on policies that alleviate it. That entails opening up new construction as well as unlocking current inventory. According to the NAR research, the median age of all homebuyers rose to a record-high 59, and the average return buyer is now 62, the highest age ever.

These patterns are partially related to the nation's shifting demographics, as the sizable baby boomer generation is now between the ages of 61 and 79, but they also show that those who are at or close to retirement age are increasingly controlling the housing market. Many of these buyers probably used a significant amount of equity from the sale of a previous property to pay for their new home, and a staggering 30% of repeat buyers paid cash and did not finance their purchases.

In order to mitigate some of the effects of rising mortgage rates, the average repeat buyer paid a sizable down payment of 23%, which was significantly larger than the median 10% down payment for first-time buyers.

Notably, the percentage of purchasers with children under the age of 18 dropped to a record low of just 24%. This trend was probably influenced by both declining birth rates and homebuyers' advancing ages.

See Here For Homes For Sale Perfect For First Time Homebuyers 

A long-vacant former Friendly’s restaurant soon will become a financial institution in Palmer Township.

Fulton Bank customers recently received letters stating they could begin using the bank’s newest branch at William Penn Plaza, 3011-3099 William Penn Highway, on Jan. 26. At 3 p.m. Jan. 23, existing branches at 4001 William Penn Highway and at the 25th Street Shopping Center, 25th Street, will be closing permanently.

A Fulton representative at the existing William Penn Highway branch said those two branches will then merge into the new 3011-3099 William Penn Highway site. The property is located in the township’s General Commercial Zoning District within the William Penn Highway Overlay District. Fulton Bank representatives are expected to go before township supervisors to discuss their development agreement and easement declaration for the project.

In April 2025, Fulton gained special exception approval from the township’s Zoning Hearing Board for the project’s three drive-thru lanes to be built on the site. Plans show no changes to the existing building’s footprint. All work to repurpose the building will involve façade, interior and exterior upgrades. To accommodate the drive-thru, Fulton plans to install more curbing, a concrete pad and bollards, as well as perform some repaving and re-striping work. There are sufficient parking spaces on the property already for the bank’s use, sufficient space to provide stacking areas for vehicles in the drive-thru, and safe vehicle maneuvering throughout the property, plans state.

Homes For Sale Near Fulton Bank in Palmerton PA 

A historic Allentown eatery has been purchased by the Hellertown Diner's owner.

Lehigh Financial Group's Jeff Barber, who secured financing for the sale, announced in a news release that Zonia Sibri's acquisition of Stahley's family restaurant and bar at 1826 Hanover Avenue was completed on October 28.

Sibri, who also runs Sibris Restaurant on E, is a restaurateur, businesswoman, and real estate investor, intends to maintain a large portion of Stahley's popular menu. She is bringing back breakfast, want to preserve the same things they have now, like the clams, cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers, Black Diamond steak, and the soups. But she will not shy away from newer options, like salad, or adding soup or fries with sandwiches, and additional seafood items!

She originally came to know Stahley's as a regular diner who loved the clams at the restaurant. Sibri arrived in the United States from Ecuador in 1995 and started her restaurant career as a server in a diner. She started coming to Stahley's Bar because of her brother-in-law told her the clams were the greatest! Ever since then, she always felt like family when it come to Stahley's, and thats a memory that lives with her forever! 

Sibri intends to increase the menu, recruit more employees, and start some little modifications, such as painting the outside and modernizing the booths and tables. She also intend to advertise the restaurant's banquet space for events and private parties in the future and may even put up a new sign outside.

Zonia Sibri's end goal is to build and give back to the commmunity, to give back the good it gave her! 

Visit Here For Homes Near Hellertown PA

This week, the market saw a decline in mortgage rates to their lowest point in almost a year, after the Federal Reserve's second interest rate decrease this year. Major firms also announced massive layoffs, and the government shutdown was approaching its one-month mark. 

Freddie Mac reports that the average rate for 30-year fixed home loans dropped to 6.17% for the week ending Oct. 30, from 6.19% the previous week. In 2024, rates averaged 6.72 percent for the same time frame.

Rates have dropped in recent months, and more and more people are getting into the housing market to purchase a house. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve voted 10-2 at Wednesday's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to reduce the Fed's overnight rate by 0.25%, bringing it down to a range of 3.75–4%—the lowest level in over three years. 

Mortgage rates have been gradually falling over the last several months, so this most recent rate decrease was well expected and included into those rates. Nevertheless, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell emphasized in his comments after the meeting that another rate decrease in December is by no means certain. Mortgage rates may see fresh upward pressure in the coming weeks. This is because the 10-year Treasury yield rose in reaction to Powell's statement.

Homeowners contemplating refinancing and sidelined purchasers have found some respite as mortgage rates have dropped 87 basis points from their mid-January peak. While the housing market remains challenging for many households, stable home prices, growing inventory, and a slower market pace may open the door for buyers looking to make a move before the year’s end.

View Here For Homes For Sale in Lehigh Valley County PA 

The North Whitehall Township Planning Commission tabled a preliminary proposal for home development at the municipal building. 

On 102 acres near Laurys Station, between Fells Creek and the Lehigh River, the Rising Sun project proposes 110 single-family houses at 1321 Rising Sun Road. At the moment, the plot of land is farmed.

Access Commercial Development has proposed a design that would provide open space between the houses and the adjacent Fells Creek and Lehigh River. To allay locals' fears about stormwater flow into the river and stream, the open area was an alteration from an earlier plan.

A new proposal without roadways accessing Rising Sun Road was presented by the developers at the planning commission assessment on February 25. Now there is an alley and two shared drives per property, and the driveways are in reverse frontage. In order to prevent trees and other heavy objects from harming the proposed subsurface basins, planners suggested putting up signs to alert landowners to their existence.

Issues such as roof water runoff and homeowners' plans for discharging the water were brought up by the panel. Since the developers' design just featured easements around the front and back of most parcels, they requested a drainage and easement waiver in the past. Planners did not approve the waiver and instead asked the applicant to either rethink the proposal or explain why it could not be changed. The applicant requested the table.

The planners' recommendation was for the supervisors to alter the zoning code in a "major" way. With minor revisions in 2019, the zoning law of North Whitehall has had three revisions since its inception in 1968: in 1992, 1995, and 2002.

Visit Here For North Whitehall Homes For Sale 

One of the first genuine mixed-use suburban communities in the Lehigh Valley market, a new mixed-use development integrating retail space with high-end residences is planned for Lower Macungie Township.

One hundred and twenty high-end rental homes at Woodmont Valley will be part of the development at 3370 Route 100 by Woodmont Properties, which also includes fourteen thousand square feet of retail space on the ground floor. By November, the project should be finished. Located in what developers are calling one of the most rapidly expanding residential regions in the Lehigh Valley, the retail component titled The Shoppes at Valley Square will have significant frontage along Route 100 at Willow Lane. With the help of VP Seth Lacey and Senior VP Derek Zerfass, Colliers is spearheading the retail space leasing campaign. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, Route 222, and Interstate 78 are all easily accessible from this area.

This is deemed to be a once in a lifetime chance for companies to capitalize on an underdeveloped suburban corridor that already has demand. Not only is the product unique, but so is the site of the project. Urban areas with strong demand for housing often include mixed-use homes like this. The suburban market is ripe for our brand of quality and connectedness, and we're delivering it to the area. The Villas at Woodmont Valley is the name of the residential section, which will have 21 apartment flats and 99 townhome-style apartments with private garages. There will be green areas, a fitness facility, a clubhouse, and a pool that seems like a resort. The site's creators claim that it would be a good match for specialty exercise centers, doctors' offices, service providers, fast food joints, cafes, and stores selling common household items. 

Check Out Homes For Sale in Lower Macungie Township 

“”Some real estate stories just flow like they were meant to be — and Keira’s journey was one of those stories.

When I first met Keira and her mom, Mayra, at the first house on our tour, there was an instant spark of excitement. The home was nice — cozy, with a lot of potential — and she genuinely liked it. But as any good buyer knows, liking a home and loving a home are two very different things. We both knew that while this one had charm, it just wasn’t “the one.”

Three properties showing later, Keira finally found a home that she was instantly sold on. With the neighborhood, the area, and how convenient the location was, it was everything she looking for. It was a match made in heaven!

Since she was a first time homebuyer and was looking to do a mortgage, I connected her with our local Lending Company, AXEN Mortgage, and they was great. They were able to get her prequalified right away and when she found that perfect home that she wanted to submit an offer for, they were so great in getting the transaction going and dealing with all the behind-the-scene work. 

So, we moved fast. She was ready to make an offer, and I was ready to make it happen. The sellers and their agent were an absolute pleasure to work with — kind, fair, and incredibly accommodating. Together, we negotiated an offer that made everyone smile, and Keira’s offer was accepted with a $10,500 seller’s credit!

That credit helped cover closing costs, cutting down what Keira needed to bring to the table — which, as any buyer knows, is always a huge win.

The process from there was surprisingly smooth. We only hit one tiny hiccup along the way — but we handled it quickly, creatively, and got right back on track. In fact, it only pushed closing by three days, and we still managed to keep everything aligned perfectly for her move-in.

Even better, the home qualified under FHA with zero repair requirements. No surprises, no last-minute stress — just a seamless close, and thanks to Act Settlement Services, we were able to close on October 22nd, 2025, with keys in hand and everyone happy! 

Keira and Mayra were absolute gems to work with — gracious, organized, and full of good energy from start to finish. I’m beyond grateful for clients like them who make the process not just easy, but joyful.

Congratulations, Keira! Welcome home and Good Luck To All Future Endeavors !  “”” 

Looking To Buy A Home in Allentown or Surrounding Areas? Contact Tamya Willams Today

The real estate market in Parkland school District remains strong in 2025, with total homes sold in increasing over 11%, in the first six months of 2025, versus the same period in 2024.

According to statistics from the Greater Lehigh valley Association of Realtors, total number of homes sold from January 1 to June 30, 2024 was 383. For the same period in 2025 total number of home sold was 428.

The median sales price for the first 6 months of 2024 was $444,953. In 2025 that price jumped over 12% to a median sales price of $499,854

These are record-breaking numbers! Great news for Home sellers, not so great news for homebuyers. This is a clear indication that we are still very much in a seller market.

The average size home sold in the first six months of 2025 was 2135 ft.² the average cost per square feet was $237 and the average days on market was 32 days. Home prices ranged from a low of approximately $150,000 to a high of $1,704,000

Homes sold in Parkland school district include Upper Macungie, North Whitehall Township, South Whitehall Township. It’s important to note. Most homes are still selling at or above list price with a typical price of sold ratio being at approximately 102% of sales price.

Market report summary provided by Chris Hoffman at Lehigh Valley Just Listed Real Estate

Give me a call for more information on buying or selling a home in Parkland Area School District

2025 Autumfest Car Show in North Catasauqua

The Annual Autumnfest Car Show took place again here in October in North Catasauqua. Every year hundreds of classic car owners get together to show off their rides at the North Catty Park just off Arch Street in North Catasauqua, Pennsylvania.

Home Seller Success In Salisbury Twp PA

Your friendly neighborhood real estate agent Chris Hoffman here from Lehigh valley just listed. I wanted to share with you another Seller Success Story..

Earlier this year in the beginning of 2025 I picked up a really nice listing on Wild Mint lane over in Upper Macungie Township, my clients name is George. He was a widower who was looking to sell his townhome. The home was in beautiful condition. It was well-maintained because it was a one owner home and he was looking to move into an apartment over in Whitehall.. that sale went smooth as silk. We sold the home very quickly over the asking price.

Fast-forward a few months later, George gave me a call his brother-in-law owned a nice beautiful bi-level home in Salisbury Township and was looking to get it sold. Bob and his wife owned this gorgeous three bedroom two bath, bi-level on a cul-de-sac in Salisbury Township. And again it was a one owner home. It was beautifully maintained very nicely updated..