$1 million starter homes are more common than ever

According to a Zillow report on Thursday, the typical starter home, which is defined as a house in the lowest third of values in a given region, is worth at least $1 million in a record-high 237 cities. That’s nearly triple the pre-pandemic level of 84 such cities in 2019.

The housing market’s lock-in effect, where Fed rate hikes and subsequent high mortgage rates discouraged homeowners from moving, has kept inventory low.

In addition to weak supply, demand has remained high, lifting home prices and putting more options out of reach for prospective buyers.

But the good news for first-time buyers is that most of the cities where $1 million starter homes are the norm are concentrated in a handful of states, according to Zillow.

While half of all states have at least one city with $1 million starter homes, nearly half of the national total are located in California, which has 117 such cities. New York is next with 31, followed by New Jersey with 21, with Florida and Massachusetts each having 11.

“Metros with the most-restrictive building regulations tend to have the largest number of cities with $1 million starter homes,” Zillow said. “They are also markets with lower homeownership rates.”

Nationwide, the typical starter home is worth $196,611, up 54.1% over the past five years, according to the report. That outpaces the 49% increase for homes overall during that time.

Meanwhile, earlier Zillow data showed that homebuyers now need a 35% downpayment to afford a typical home, instead of the traditional 20%. And the number of cities where the median-priced home is at least $1 million shot up to 550 from 491 last year.

But there have been some signs that the housing market is shifting more in favor of buyers. Mortgage rates have dipped on expectations of Fed rate cuts later this year, more listings have come into the market, and builders are also adding to inventory. Prospective homebuyers are even backing out of deals at a record pace.

“With more homes for-sale, buyers have more time to weigh their options,” Zillow said on Thursday. “Rising housing inventory is also helping the negotiating power swing in buyers’ favor as price cuts are at record highs for this time of year.”