Dorienne Smith recently bought her first home, a newly built townhouse in a development outside Columbus, Ohio. It wasn’t easy.

Recent rent hikes pushed her to finally decide to own, kicking off a two-year search. She struggled to find a home in her $400,000 price range that didn’t require a lot of repairs and that was in an area she felt comfortable.

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At 40 years old, Smith only recently felt stable enough to finally buy a home. It took her getting a new job in human resources — plus taking out a loan against her 401(k) — before she felt she could afford to buy.

“It’s harder for people, especially those younger than me, to maintain jobs that are going to get six figures or higher, which is really what you need in

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