Why America Stopped Building the ‘Starter Home’

These days, what qualifies as a “starter home?” Do its owners need to be a certain age or plan to live in it fewer than five years, or maybe 10? Or does the answer simply come down to price?

People tend to have their own understanding, but starter homes are typically perceived as being on the smaller side, in need of renovation, or both. Buyers often go in expecting to stay a few years to build equity, then trade up for something bigger and generally better. But the concept is antiquated given current prices and big floor plans, a dynamic that’s icing out many entry-level shoppers. 

Builders have been constructing bigger and bigger homes during the past half-century. Homes with four or more bedrooms made up nearly half of all new construction in 2022, according to Census Bureau data. That compares with 1 in 5 in the 1970s.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.