First-Time Homebuyers Confront Growing Cost Burden

New homeowners in 2024 spent about 26% of their income on housing vs 20% for longer-tenured owners—a six-point gap dubbed the 'new homeowner penalty' and the widest since 1990—driven by high prices, mortgage rates hovering around 6%+, and rising costs like insurance and taxes. The result is a stubborn affordability crunch for first-time buyers, even with savings and family help; policymakers point to boosting housing supply through streamlined permitting and zoning reforms as the long-term fix, though effects will take time and vary by region.