Everything is bigger in Texas, as the saying goes. But it turns out that homebuilders are starting to take things in a different direction, building affordable homes which many are describing as way too small for someone to live in, and just as many others see as the future.
On social media, the description of a 764-square-foot, single-story home being built in Risinger Court, Fort Worth, shared by journalist Lance Lambert caused something of a frenzy. The home, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property by builder Lennar which is part of a new single-family homes community, is selling for a starting price of $197,999.
X user Don Johnson described the home, whose listing was shared by Lambert, as “basically a 200k detached apartment with no garage.” He added: “Why not just live in an RV at that point? No property taxes.”
“I’d rather get a shed from Home Depot,” wrote another user on the social media platform. Another argued that “this has to be a troll post,” sparking Lambert’s response confirming the listing is real.
“That’s a real home being built by Lennar—one of the largest homebuilders in the country,” he wrote. “I’m neither promoting it, nor throwing shade. Just simply reporting a trend: Strained affordability has some builders going smaller.”
Newsweek contacted Lennar for comment through its website on Monday morning.
The home listing had just as many admirers as it had critics.
“I think this is fantastic,” California realtor Carol Walsh wrote on X . “It’s a great size for somebody just starting out or a couple starting a family. Excellent for Grandma to downsize into so she can have grandkids sleep over,” she added.
“Roughly 800 square foot, two bedrooms were really popular both pre- and post-war, there are a lot of them still around my area and there are still buyers for them every day.”
“Now THIS is what I want to see! It’s cute! Affordable and ATTRACTIVE small houses for the win!” real estate agent Melissa Savenko wrote on the social media platform.
“I love this concept. However, my experience is that ’empty nesters’ (Boomers) won’t do anything smaller than 1,500-2,000 when downsizing,” wrote realtor Craig Kamman. “We have some really nice 900sf units that really should sell much better than they do.”
MacroEdge date lead Ulysses Awsumb wrote on X that the property is “the product that’s needed. That people don’t want. A very large Catch 22.”
With a starting price of $197,999, Lennar’s home in Fort Worth is cheaper than the median sale price of a home in Texas, which, according to Redfin, was $356,900 as of May (across all types of home), and the median list price of $389,900.
But the average price per square foot is actually more expensive. While the average price per square foot in the state is $181, it’s about $259 per square foot for the small home in Risinger Court.
It is also true, as detractors of the Lennar home said, that the house is much smaller than that which Americans are used to. The average square footage of a single-family home in the U.S., according to Bankrate, was well over 2,000 square feet in 2022.
However, during times when housing remains out of reach for many, with still-high mortgage rates and limited supply across the country, purchasing a smaller home might be an option worth considering for some, especially first-time buyers.
“Don’t overreach to get to something you can’t comfortably afford right now—no one wants to be house poor,” Bankrate suggested in a report in praise of smaller homes. “Over time, as your income increases and your finances become more stable, you will likely be in a better position to afford a larger home.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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