Are starter homes still affordable? Here’s how to break into the market

Breaking into Canada's housing market is no easy task. Here's what to look for in your starter home, including why not every property you can afford is right for you.

This article is part of Global News’s Home School series, which gives Canadians the basics they need to know about the housing market that they never learned in school.

First-time homebuyers might find themselves a bit overwhelmed hopping online to search all the available properties on the market.

Listings vary widely from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, and without answers to a few key questions hammered out, it’s easy to get lost in the real estate sea.

Do we need three bedrooms, or are we fine with two? Condo or detached? Should we live closer to friends, work or family? And perhaps, most importantly — can we even afford any of this?

While everyone’s first rung on the property ladder looks a bit different, a starter home marks the entry point for prospective buyers to break into the housing market and gives a little bit of room to grow before typically jumping up to a bigger home when the time is right and your needs have changed.

In that way, buying a starter home is never just about the now — it’s about where you’re going.

Here’s what real estate experts have to say about the search for a starter home in the modern market.

Nick Kyte, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Realty, says the first step when he sits down with someone looking to break into the housing market is to set expectations.