On January 31, 2026, real estate professional Mo Franklin and his partner, Samantha Franklin, will be having their third annual “No Place Like Home” community event at St. Petersburg College at the Midtown Campus. In the last two years, their hosted event has attracted over 300 participants.
“No Place Like Home” provides information on how to purchase a home and get a mortgage, and offers access to affordable builders (Suncoast Housing Connections, Neighborhood Home Solutions, and Habitat for Humanity). Additionally, several banks will be present that specialize in community lending and offer expertise in programs designed to help first-time homebuyers.
In 2024, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that the median age of first-time homebuyers had skyrocketed to nearly forty years old, setting a new record in the US, largely due to affordability issues, student loan debt, and a tight housing market.
In the fall of 2025, things remained the same, with millennials continuing to bemoan housing costs. Saving for a home can be challenging, especially for first-time homebuyers, who must budget for the down payment and other new home purchase costs.
Photo by Isis Climes
Inflation is also making it harder to save, with soaring prices for rent, groceries, and often gas. All together, these factors are making it harder for younger home-buyers to attain their dream of home-ownership…even in what seems to be a buyer’s market.
However, there are indications that things will be changing – recent trends seem to be forecasting that we are moving out of a seller’s market and into a buyer’s market. In this real estate market, a healthy supply of housing for sale creates leverage for the buyer, as opposed to a seller’s market, when there’s less housing for buyers, and prices go up. With increased supply, the buyer’s ability to purchase a home at more favorable prices improves.
Can first-time buyers hope to purchase homes in this environment? Mo and Sam are determined to help it be so for local residents.
Offering his own perspective on the current market, Mo noted, “A real estate buyer market primarily is caused by an oversupply of homes, for sales relative to the number of buyers. That gives buyers more leverage. Most of the time, what you’ll see is that prices start to fall, higher inventory, lower demand, flat home prices, longer market time, in regard to how long the property’s on the market, more room to negotiate.”
Franklin advocates that homebuyers use their resources when considering homeownership. When researching homes, interested buyers should look into homebuyer assistance and education programs. Their Facebook page spotlights organizations, such as St. Petersburg Neighborhood Home Solutions and Suncoast Housing Connections, that assist homebuyers in the Tampa Bay area.
“There are homebuying education classes that educate you on the homebuying process; things to look for in your mortgage, things to look for in how you work with a realtor, but also things regarding homeownership and the difference between being a homeowner and being a renter,” said Franklin.
Mo and Sam have begun marketing an interest line to begin rolling out pricing, completion dates, and other details that factor into purchasing The Deuces townhomes from the City of St. Petersburg. Those twenty-four townhomes will be affordable homes, sold at between 80% and 120% of the area median income.
For those seeking homeownership, you can reach out to Franklin on Mo & Sam at Franklin & Associates Realty’s Facebook page.
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Photo by Isis Climes
Photo & edited by Isis Climes
Photo by Isis Climes
Photo by Isis Climes
Photo by Isis Climes
