Rethinking the Starter Home in Today's Housing Market

With home prices high and inventory limited, getting your starter home right has never been more important. This week on Real Estate Today, we explore how the idea of the starter home is evolving and whether the traditional first home still exists or has simply been reimagined. Learn what today's buyers should prioritize in a shifting housing market, why a home's condition can make or break a deal when budgets are tight and which inspection red flags buyers simply cannot ignore. Guests include Mike Bruce, real estate professional from Denver, Colorado; Matt Cook, director of operations at HomeTeam Inspection Service; and Korey Dropkin, a REALTOR® from Minnesota and silver medalist at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Plus, in our Hot or Not segment, Jennifer Adams, home designer with Engel & Volkers, shares what's trending in home design.

You can listen to Rethinking the Starter Home in Today's Housing Market online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Rethinking the Starter Home in Today's Housing Market is an episode from Real Estate Today by National Association of REALTORS®.

This episode is 32:42 long.

This episode was published on Feb 24, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Real Estate Today when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.