“Starter Home,” Defined

“Starter home“:  a relatively small, economical house or condominium that meets the requirements of young people buying their first home.

While there’s no precise definition, I have two associations with “starter home”:

One. Price Point.

Starter homes are (well) below the average price for homes in the local market — whatever that may be.

So, a starter home in San Francisco may be $800k, while one in Omaha might be $150k.

Two. Attributes.

Most common profile: a small house, usually two Bedrooms (or three very small ones), that may (or may not) be in rough condition.

Other popular adjectives:  “cute,” “cozy,” and “adorable.”

Because of those attributes, it’s presumed that starter homes are temporary abodes, eventually traded in for bigger, nicer “family homes.”

Avoiding Clichés (and Negative Buyer Associations)

Perhaps those (mostly) negative connotations are why you don’t hear the term that much.

Of course, in a continued Seller’s market with scarce inventory, there are plenty of homeowners whose temporary “starter home” turned out to be anything but.

At the other extreme, starter homes increasingly appeal to many “aging in place” Baby Boomers, who are now downsizing retirees.

Especially attractive: ramblers that offer one-level living.

See also, “Real Estate Clichés and How to Avoid Them“; “Real Estate Euphemisms — New & Improved“; “Rambler/Ranches:  One-Level Living, Yes, But . . . “; and “An Ode to the ’50’s Rambler.”



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