Being a first-time homebuyer these days can feel a bit like a hungry dog begging for scraps. And no one is rushing in with filet mignon anytime soon.

At the heart of the problem: the near disappearance of the classic American starter home—the smaller, more affordable, entry-level abodes that have long been the sweet spot of first-time buyers. Homes that would seem to fit the bill, at least in terms of size and amenities, are often now listed at wildly prohibitive price points, even in a time marked by record-low mortgage rates.

It has ushered in an era of high stress and unprecedented challenge for first-time buyers, eager to jump into their initial real estate purchase.

Even those who have done everything they were “supposed to do” (like getting a college degree and a steady-paying job, working on their credit scores, and saving up enough for a down payment) can feel like they’re cursed to a lifetime of lousy landlords, unable to build the kind of wealth their parents’ generation did through homeownership. It seems at times like a fundamental shifting of the American dream.