As I was browsing the internet for the latest Real Estate news I came across an interesting article that made me curious - what do you look for when buying a home? Spacious rooms? Two stories versus one? A garage large enough to fill with your ample amount of Christmas decorations? A recent study shows that qualities homebuyers use to find important when looking for home are now obsolete. Gone are the days when homebuyers wanted X number of rooms. Now are the days where homebuyers want to know what shops and stores are nearby. If the neighborhood is child and pet friendly, and what the median home price is in the neighborhood.
According to Heithaus, a real estate professional “Many industry studies show that home buyers start their search on the internet before they contact a real estate professional.” Because of these more detailed interests, sites are upgrading their home searches to include a “lifestyle search.” Now included are fun and entertainment, shops and stores, family and child friendly, highly rated schools, pet friendly, median home price, rural, urban and downtown, and public transportation. Consumers browsing online can now search first by the neighborhood and community features then by the available real time local listings.
KW Research added to this research by stating that one of the top things buyers are looking for is an affordable price, meaning price sometimes outranks location.
While it’s been four years since my family and I moved into our home I can definitely relate to what now interest homebuyers. With five kids I wanted to know that there were places my kids could entertain themselves at, such as a nearby park or playground. High-ranked schools, as well as the convenience of shopping centers were also another plus when we were deciding on where to live.
I like this idea of adding more “lifestyle searches” on Real Estate sites for homebuyers that are trying to narrow down their searches. The more detailed search will help not only the homebuyer but the Real Estate agent/broker, as well. Homebuyers will be able to gain a clearer sense of the top priorities they would like to see in a home and their agent/broker will be able to help them target their search.
So whether you are looking for a house that’s near a grocery store or one that has a community pool, the convenience of a “lifestyle search” is now available to make your home search quicker, successful and more enjoyable.
About Ann Stiles:
Ann Stiles is a real estate broker for Wilkinson and Associates. She began by selling homes in New York and has over 29 years of experience in real estate. After relocating with her family to North Carolina in 2008 she continued her passion for real estate. She currently resides in the Trump National Golf Club Community in Mooresville, NC with her husband and five children.
For more information visit: http://astiles.wilkinsonandassociates.com/
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