Adventures in Housing

“The first thing I say when the production team walks in is, it's, ‘make yourself at home,’” said Chicago homeowner Jill Nahrstedt

Topher Soltys and his husband bought a place in New York City earlier this year, and saw their monthly housing costs double.

Here’s what daily life is like on one family’s “compound” in southern Mississippi.

The average age for a first-time homeowner is 38, but not all buyers enter the market at the same time.

At the age of 40, Brandon Adams bought his first home in Durham, North Carolina. He chose a townhome as he felt it would be an easier transition from being a renter.

“I'm trying to make this as 2025 as possible, but it is definitely sometimes feeling a little 1800s over here,” said Laurel Santos about her off-grid house in Tres Piedras, NM.

“For as stressful as it was financially and physically and just emotionally, it was worth it,” said Kirsten Roehler of her solo homebuying experience in Bailey, Colorado.

Tiffany DeCola in Burmingham, AL talks about buying her first home after a recent divorce.

“Even though I only live, like, 35 minutes away from the city, or 45 minutes by metro, it’s just a little inconvenient for people,” said William Craver in Herndon, Virginia.

“Closing was very emotional,” said Savannah Melendez of Anchorage, Alaska. “I remember at one point looking over and seeing tears in my mom's eyes, and that I had to bite my cheeks to not cry with her.”