Walkability a Major Factor for New Home Buyers

One of the most important factos for home buyers is the community in which they choose to live, and research by the National Association of Realtors® has consistently revealed that Americans prefer walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods and shorter commutes. NAR’s 2013 Community Preference Survey suggests that 60 percent of respondents enjoy neighborhoods with a mix of houses and stores and other businesses that are easy to walk to.

Survey responders were even willing to sacrifice the size of their new home for a more walkable area.. While 52 percent of respondents prefered a single-family detached house with a large yard, 78 percent said that the neighborhood is more important to them than the size of the house.

When asked to identify their ideal community, the most popular choice was a suburban neighborhood with a mix of houses, shops and businesses. The least popular was a suburban neighborhood with just houses.

When it came to commuting concerns, 41 percent said improving public transportation would be the best solution, while 29 percent would prefer the development of communities where people do not have to drive long distances to work or shop, and 20 percent would choose building new roads.

The survey of 1,500 adult Americans was conducted by American Strategies and Meyers Research from September 18-24, 2013.