{"id":31,"date":"2026-09-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/19\/u-s-starter-buyers-gain-leverage\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T14:00:00","slug":"u-s-starter-buyers-gain-leverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/19\/u-s-starter-buyers-gain-leverage\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Starter Buyers Gain Leverage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"video-zmyer\">\n<div class=\"video-frame-zmyer\">\n        <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.roomvu.com\/agent\/embed\/bernie\/starter-home-leverage-remotion-videos-bdda\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><br \/>\n        <\/iframe>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"video-description-zmyer\">\n<p>After 25 years navigating New York\u2019s real estate twists and turns, I\u2019ve seen the cycles\u2014both frenzied and calm. Right now, across the U.S., buyers entering the starter-home market are finally gaining some leverage. The landscape has shifted: entry-level buyers are finding more options, fewer bidding wars, and a real chance to negotiate for seller credits, closing-cost assistance, rate buydowns, post-inspection repairs, and, on occasion, extras like furnishings or appliances. Well-priced homes in great shape still move fast\u2014no surprise there\u2014but those lingering on the market, needing work or priced too high, are giving buyers more room to negotiate both price and concessions. Yes, affordability remains a hurdle with average 30-year mortgage rates hovering near 7% through Q3 2026. But for those who are financially prepared\u2014credit in order, savings strong, and budget on point\u2014this is a window of opportunity with less chaos and more control. As always, my approach is rooted in data-driven strategy and careful guidance, ensuring every move strengthens your financial future.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After 25 years navigating New York\u2019s real estate twists and turns, I\u2019ve seen the cycles\u2014both frenzied and calm. Right now, across the U.S., buyers entering the starter-home market are finally gaining some leverage. The landscape has shifted: entry-level buyers are finding more options, fewer bidding wars, and a real chance to negotiate for seller credits, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":32,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.berniesellsnyc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}