clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Via Remax

12 great Seattle-area starter homes

Notable homes at a lower price than most

View as Map

So you’re looking to buy a home for the first time. It can get pretty overwhelming, especially with Seattle home prices and a general lack of affordable homes nationwide. There’s still plenty to see—and plenty of homes to fall in love with.

“Starter home” can seem like an arbitrary term—after all, everyone has a different starting point. Here, we set a limit of $400,000, which is still steep for some, but comparably low to the King County-wide median home sale price of $658,000.

We found a mix of condos, townhouses, and single-family homes in decent shape, from a First Hill condo to a SeaTac rambler.

Those looking for a house or something family-size need to go a little farther out. Many of these homes are just outside the city limits but still in great communities for settling down in.

Here are 12 notable homes in and around Seattle, from $200,000 to $400,000.

Map points are ordered north to south.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

120 14th Avenue Unit 6: $200,000

Copy Link

This 1928 one-bedroom condo in the First Hill/Squire Park area has a townhome feel, thanks to its own outside entrance along a shared courtyard with seating and barbeques. Inside, find huge closets and a washer and dryer in the bedroom—a space-saver in the 447 square feet. $188 in HOAs are a total steal.

Via Real Living Northwest

6735 Shaffer Avenue South: $379,950

Copy Link

This craftsman-style townhome in the mixed-income New Holly redevelopment has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a covered front porch, and a private fenced yard. The home’s layout make it seem more like a single-family house, especially with more than 1,300 square feet of space.

Via TEC Real Estate, Inc.

8436 26th Avenue Southwest Unit C: $335,000

Copy Link

This two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot townhouse near Westwood Village has a lofted feel, with cathedral ceilings over the living area reaching into an upper loft. It shares a courtyard with several other units, perhaps contributing to the $340 a month in HOAs.

Dwellings Seattle Real Estate

9615 10th Avenue Southwest: $400,000

Copy Link

This eggshell blue rambler in Highland Park has a gigantic yard outside, plus three bedrooms and a bonus room inside 990 square feet. A semi-open living, dining, and kitchen area has new hardwood floors.

Via Skyline

9813 31st Avenue Southwest: $400,000

Copy Link

Out in West Seattle’s Arbor Heights neighborhood, this little 670-square-foot two-bedroom has a fenced backyard and a greenery-lined backyard with raised beds ready to go, plus a new patio. Hardwood floors cover most of the interior, including a large living room and kitchen for the home’s size.

Via Windermere

9843 61st Avenue South: $370,000

Copy Link

Air conditioning isn’t normally a quality one would expect in a Seattle-area starter home, but here it is in this Rainier Beach two-bedroom. Other key features: a large new deck, a storage shed, and a fresh paint job.

Via Windermere

10306 51st Avenue South: $319,950

Copy Link

Just south of Kubota Garden, this well-kept, three-bedroom rambler has hardwood floors and fresh wiring. A well-landscaped backyard features a fire pit; out front, a literal white picket fence.

Via North Pacific

1209 South 115th Street: $240,000

Copy Link

This cute little Burien house from 1943 is only 600 square feet, but still manages to pack in two bedrooms. Skylights keep the living area in natural light from the vaulted ceiling; a wood stove keeps it cozy. The bedrooms are, of course, small, but the yard is pretty big.

Via Remax

2465 South 121st Street: $340,000

Copy Link

Come for the big front stoop, stay for the equally-gigantic living room with hardwood floors. This three-bedroom rambler in Burien’s Boulevard Park neighborhood also has a gigantic, fenced backyard.

Via RSVP

13012 15th Avenue South: $289,000

Copy Link

In Burien, this two-bedroom midcentury rambler is listed for around $30,000 more than it was last year—but it still comes in under $300,000. An open living area has high, vaulted ceilings which extend down to the bedrooms. A large backyard could be a pretty intense project for someone that’s looking for one.

Via KW

703 South 138th Place: $385,000

Copy Link

This Boulevard Park rambler may have been someone’s starter home back in 1961—and it’s on the market for the first time now. It’s had a lot of work done recently, including refinished hardwoods, new paint, and an updated kitchen, but the original millwork and fireplace remain. The fully-fenced backyard has a patio and fruit trees.

Via Windermere

16206 34th Avenue South: $349,995

Copy Link

This 1949 brick rambler on a quarter acre in SeaTac—just a few blocks from the airport—has a huge deck, plus a shed and a fire pit in the yard. The detached garage and carport match the home’s design. Inside, the two bedrooms are huge and feature hardwood floors. Its airport proximity means it’s also within walking distance of light rail.

Via Michael J Real Estate

120 14th Avenue Unit 6: $200,000

This 1928 one-bedroom condo in the First Hill/Squire Park area has a townhome feel, thanks to its own outside entrance along a shared courtyard with seating and barbeques. Inside, find huge closets and a washer and dryer in the bedroom—a space-saver in the 447 square feet. $188 in HOAs are a total steal.

Via Real Living Northwest

6735 Shaffer Avenue South: $379,950

This craftsman-style townhome in the mixed-income New Holly redevelopment has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a covered front porch, and a private fenced yard. The home’s layout make it seem more like a single-family house, especially with more than 1,300 square feet of space.

Via TEC Real Estate, Inc.

8436 26th Avenue Southwest Unit C: $335,000

This two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot townhouse near Westwood Village has a lofted feel, with cathedral ceilings over the living area reaching into an upper loft. It shares a courtyard with several other units, perhaps contributing to the $340 a month in HOAs.

Dwellings Seattle Real Estate

9615 10th Avenue Southwest: $400,000

This eggshell blue rambler in Highland Park has a gigantic yard outside, plus three bedrooms and a bonus room inside 990 square feet. A semi-open living, dining, and kitchen area has new hardwood floors.

Via Skyline

9813 31st Avenue Southwest: $400,000

Out in West Seattle’s Arbor Heights neighborhood, this little 670-square-foot two-bedroom has a fenced backyard and a greenery-lined backyard with raised beds ready to go, plus a new patio. Hardwood floors cover most of the interior, including a large living room and kitchen for the home’s size.

Via Windermere

9843 61st Avenue South: $370,000

Air conditioning isn’t normally a quality one would expect in a Seattle-area starter home, but here it is in this Rainier Beach two-bedroom. Other key features: a large new deck, a storage shed, and a fresh paint job.

Via Windermere

10306 51st Avenue South: $319,950

Just south of Kubota Garden, this well-kept, three-bedroom rambler has hardwood floors and fresh wiring. A well-landscaped backyard features a fire pit; out front, a literal white picket fence.

Via North Pacific

1209 South 115th Street: $240,000

This cute little Burien house from 1943 is only 600 square feet, but still manages to pack in two bedrooms. Skylights keep the living area in natural light from the vaulted ceiling; a wood stove keeps it cozy. The bedrooms are, of course, small, but the yard is pretty big.

Via Remax

2465 South 121st Street: $340,000

Come for the big front stoop, stay for the equally-gigantic living room with hardwood floors. This three-bedroom rambler in Burien’s Boulevard Park neighborhood also has a gigantic, fenced backyard.

Via RSVP

13012 15th Avenue South: $289,000

In Burien, this two-bedroom midcentury rambler is listed for around $30,000 more than it was last year—but it still comes in under $300,000. An open living area has high, vaulted ceilings which extend down to the bedrooms. A large backyard could be a pretty intense project for someone that’s looking for one.

Via KW

703 South 138th Place: $385,000

This Boulevard Park rambler may have been someone’s starter home back in 1961—and it’s on the market for the first time now. It’s had a lot of work done recently, including refinished hardwoods, new paint, and an updated kitchen, but the original millwork and fireplace remain. The fully-fenced backyard has a patio and fruit trees.

Via Windermere

16206 34th Avenue South: $349,995

This 1949 brick rambler on a quarter acre in SeaTac—just a few blocks from the airport—has a huge deck, plus a shed and a fire pit in the yard. The detached garage and carport match the home’s design. Inside, the two bedrooms are huge and feature hardwood floors. Its airport proximity means it’s also within walking distance of light rail.

Via Michael J Real Estate