The Disappearing $400,000 House

$400,000 used to buy a forever house. Now it’s starting to get labeled a “starter home,” and that shift is messing with first-time buyers across North Carolina and beyond. We get into the real reasons the entry-level market feels like it’s vanishing: higher interest rates, tight inventory near jobs, and a cost per square foot that doesn’t care how badly you want to keep your commute short. We also challenge a quiet assumption that’s baked into a lot of frustration, the idea that a dream home ...