The Modern House funt

With high prices and limited inventory, both buyers and sellers can find opportunity using strategies that make the most of this market moment.

- BERIT THORKELSON,AGNESE BICOCCHI

Starter-Home Smarts

The Current First-Time Buyer Experience

Today’s first-time American home buyers are different from those of previous generations—and so are the types of homes they buy. Blame it on the market: Lately, high prices and low housing stock—plus the rising costs of moving and renovations—affect options. “What buyers could have afforded three or four years ago is very different today,” says Kirsten Abney, a Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) agent with Gary Greene in Houston.

But make no mistake, options still exist. You just need to know how and where to look. For help, follow advice from seasoned BHGRE pros.

1. Don’t Rush

Patience pays off, Abney says. The longer you’re willing and able to wait and watch the market (and potentially adjust your prioritiesto match), the better the odds the market will produce a right fit.

2. Prioritize Livability Over Size

Function and flexibility matter, says Robin Smith, a BHGRE agent with The Masiello Group in New Hampshire and the Florida Gulf Coast. Spaces like a multiuse home office, a basement, or even a semi-open layout can evolve over time. “It’s less about square footage and more about how the home lives day to day,” Smith says.

3. Play with Location

See what options open up when you consider a slightly longer commute, a more suburban setting, or a neighborhood with development on the horizon or one that’s in transition.

4. Look for a Connection

Sometimes, it just feels right. Nearly half of BHGRE buyers polled in the 2026 Design Trends Moving Report said finding a house that truly feels like home is the most important factor in their decision. Investigate the ways in which your life might realistically adapt to a space that already, somehow, feels perfectly yours.