By Hal Bundrick | NerdWallet
The concept of a “starter home” is quickly becoming a real estate relic, like track lighting and brass hardware. Time was, young families with average incomes who were shopping for a first house would choose a small one in an affordable neighborhood — maybe with just a hint of a yard and a carport, rather than a half-acre lot and a two-car garage.
Today, first-time homeowners are buying more square footage and putting down roots, in what may mark a fundamental change in family housing. But experts say there are still ways for families who can’t afford fancier properties to cope.
