Homeownership is slipping further out of reach for many 30-somethings as high prices and mortgage rates lengthen the obstacle course for first-time buyers.

Why it matters: Younger buyers in Nashville and nationwide are staying on the sidelines at record levels.

Driving the news: The median age of first-time buyers in the U.S. is now 40 — the oldest on record, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors.

• First-timers made up 21% of buyers between July 2024 and June 2025 — a new low in data going back to 1981.

Zoom in: There is some good news in the local data. Home inventory, which has been a pressure point in the Nashville area for years, has surged to its highest level in more than a decade, according to Greater Nashville Realtors.

By the numbers: There was an inventory of 14,282 available homes in the region at the end of October. That's 19% higher than the inventory at the same time last year.

Yes, but: Higher inventory doesn't mean easier access for first-timers. The median price for a single-family home in the area is more than half a million dollars.

What they're saying: "What we don't have is affordable starter homes," Nashville realtor Denise Moore tells Axios. "Builders can't really build a home and sell it for $250,000-$300,000 anymore, because of the price of land and material costs."

State of play: Moore says she has seen a downturn in younger clients. The ones she does have often have to build much more time for financial planning into their process.

• "We used to joke about a 30- to 90-day relationship with clients. Now it feels more like six months to a year."

Between the lines: Many younger shoppers are tapping into family money: 60% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials say they couldn't have purchased a home without help from relatives, BMO bank research shows.

• Some are co-buying with friends or moving further into the suburbs to get their foot over the threshold.

The other side: Equity-rich repeat buyers (with a median age of 62, the highest ever) have more ability to make big down payments and all-cash offers.

What we're watching: Nashville politicians are debating how to provide more starter home options.

• A series of zoning reform bills pending in the Metro Council are pitched as tools to thoughtfully increase density and add more middle-class housing.
• But there is a disagreement over that strategy. Neighborhood preservationists say those plans could tarnish the character of residential areas without doing much.

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The annual Veterans Day parade takes place tomorrow at 11am in downtown.

Details: The parade of veterans, military vehicles and public officials begins at 11:11am.

• The viewing area for the parade is along Broadway between 9th Avenue and 1st Avenue.

Yes, but: If you can't make it downtown, there are other ways to celebrate veterans this week.

Support a veterans nonprofit

The Warriors and Quiet Waters nonprofit helps post-9/11 veterans find purpose and peace through nature-based experiences.

• The nonprofit recently collaborated with students at Christ Presbyterian Academy to create a video telling veterans' stories of resilience and renewal.

Grab a meal

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint and Hugh Baby's BBQ and Burger Shop offer 20% discounts for veterans tomorrow.

• The restaurants offer veterans 10% discounts throughout the year.

A Middle Tennessee State University administrator fired for social media posts about Charlie Kirk's assassination is suing the school, accusing leaders of ousting her over protected speech. (Tennessean)

Federal officials plan to open a Nashville-area call center to coordinate efforts to track and deport unaccompanied immigrant children. (Nashville Scene)

A new Grammy category launched this year will honor the "best traditional country album." (WPLN)

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Country artist TracieLynn released a song last week that's being hyped as "the official song of Broadway."

Driving the news: In an event at Jason Aldean's rooftop bar, TracieLynn unveiled the song "NashVegas Anthem." A proclamation honoring the release of the song was delivered by Councilmember Jacob Kupin.

• Give TracieLynn credit, she may have the new record for namedropping lower Broad honky-tonks in a single song.

It turns out, writing about honky-tonks is a pretty popular topic for country music songs.

• We created a new Music Monday playlist full of songs about honky-tonks.
• We included songs like "Honky Tonk Heroes" by Waylon Jennings and "Honky Tonk Song" by Lower Broad legends BR549.

We want to hear from you. What do you think of TracieLynn's Broadway-themed single, and what are your favorite honky-tonk songs we should add to the playlist.

Nashville SC saw its season come to a close in a humbling 4-0 loss to Inter Miami in Game 3 of their playoff series.

• Lionel Messi scored two goals to power Miami.

Next up: Nashville will participate in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign, which begins in February.