What Exactly is a Starter Home

Everyone needs to start somewhere, and for most people looking to purchase a home for the first time, that likely means you will be looking at a starter home.

But, what exactly is a starter home? To be fair, the term “starter home” can be representative of both a vague and broad explanation of a home typical for a first time home buyer. Traditionally in real estate a starter home is 1-2 bedrooms, although 3 bedrooms are also common. The home will also likely have 1-2 bathrooms. The home is generally smaller, with fewer than 1,300 square feet. However, these are the general characteristics. What really makes a starter home a starter home is affordability for the majority of home buyers.

Currently, on Long Island, a starter home would be considered around the price-point of $250,000 or less. Of, course this is highly variable according to the economy, season, and many other factors not-withstanding the home itself. However, as of the writing of this article, $250,000 is a good starting point.

Starter homes can come in as many styles as you can imagine. Older parts of Long Island may offer Victorian homes, and new developments may offer townhouses or condominiums.

With an economy which is becoming more stable, growth into major metropolitan areas has increased as people are trying to relocate closer to where they work, or find a home that is in what I like to call a “personal hub”. This means that the home is within a couple blocks of schools, work, and a shopping center.

For a homebuyer looking at starter homes this can be both positive and negative. If you are looking at finding a starter home within the center of an urban area such as New York City, you may have difficulties, as affordable starter homes are scarce. However, a new trend within cities in the U.S. has begun to re-zone previously commercial areas into residential, specifically focused on new starter home developments.

However, as a new home buyer, many opportunities exist in suburban, and older areas that offer both unique and affordable single-family starter homes.

Some things you may want to think about when looking for a starter home are:

·         Affordability: Many people can’t wait to buy a home. However, as seen with the housing bubble, many people stepped into the role of home ownership well before they should have. Anytime you make a large purchase such as a home, make sure you are financially able to purchase a home. Getting your personal finances in order and going through the pre-approval process are two important steps.

·         Maintenance Costs: In addition to affordability you should look at potential maintenance costs of the home. As the home will be in the lower price-range of many homes you may find a lot of “fixer-uppers”. To many people this is appealing. You have the ability to put your personal touch on the home, as well as add some sweat equity. However, it is important to weigh how much these costs will be, and assume those costs with the overall purchase price. You don’t want to buy a home and find you don’t have the money to fix it.

·         Location: Location is always important. From proximity to work, resell abilities, and if the neighborhood fits your future plans.

·         How long you will live there: The number of years you are planning to live at the home is important. This is mostly in regards to your future. For example, if you are planning on having children in the next year, but your home has only one-bedroom, the home may not be suitable to your needs. However, if you are not planning to have children for the next five years, then that same one-bedroom home may be ideal.

·         Room for growth: Is the home equipped for an expanding family, or is there room to physically add onto the house to adjust for a growing family or needs.

·         Does it have universal appeal: As a starter home, you may not be looking at living in your home for more than five years. Having a home with universal appeal helps your home become more saleable when you are ready to sell. So the question you want to answer is: Does my home have universal appeal, or is there enough to add universal appeal while I am living here?

·         Investment potential: The good thing about a starter home is affordability. With that, you may want to consider turning your starter home into an investment rental property once you move to a bigger home. If this is important to you, you may want to find out current rental trends and restrictions to see if this is a possibility in the area where the home is.

How You Know You're Ready to Buy Your First Home

Let’s face it. We all think we are ready to buy our first home well before we are. Along with the years of preparation and financial preparedness, few people realize the time-commitment and emotional toll purchasing a home can take on you.

Now, I don’t want to scare you out of buying a home. In fact, that would be pretty counteractive to what I do for a living. However, I do want you to know that feelings of excitement, along with concern and frustration are natural, and happen to most home buyers.

I think the biggest question most people face when buying their first home is, how do I know when I am ready to buy a home?

It’s a legitimate question, and one which most people should ask their selves. Luckily, there are some indicators that you are both financially and emotionally ready to purchase a home.

You’re financially prepared:

This is a big one! You need to be financially prepared to purchase a home. Your lender will be looking at three types of your finances.

·         Your income vs. expenses: Can you afford, and pay back the loan?

·         Credit worthiness: Do you have credit, and if you do, do you pay your bills on time?

·         Down payment: Down payment is variable depending on your lender and type of loan, but you will likely need some money down.

If you are someone who still manages your check ledger, or is on top of your finances daily, then you are likely in a good position to begin looking for a home.

You actually want to settle down:

If you have been dreaming about staying in one place for a long time, as in years, then you are probably in the right mind set to own a home. Unless you are flipping a home for profit, you really want to have the finesse to stay for a while. Owning a home isn’t as simple as waiting for the lease to end before you move. So, if you are ready to settle in, then good for you. You might have a home in your future.

You really, really love DIY:

Whether you are looking for an older home, or a newer one, at some point you will have to fix or replace something in your home. So, if you love DIY projects, you are simply in a better position to handle some of the problems that might occur, whether the problem is a leaky faucet, or a burst pipe.

You are patiently ready:

Many people who want to buy a home are ready to jump and do everything at once. However, the smart home buyer realizes that shopping for a home is as much a commitment as signing the paperwork to buy the home. You need to have the ability to choose a home that works for you and understand the importance of not buying, just to buy. Rather you want to buy what fits for you.

It’s a buyers’ market:

While this is not a steadfast rule, you would be wise to manage patience and wait to purchase until you are in a buyers’ market. This simply means a market that is currently saturated with homes for sale, giving the buyer more flexibility in their bids, and available homes. Depending on where you are looking a buyers’ market could be seasonal, or may be only influenced by the economy.