HOME DELIVERY
Residential Real Estate Trends, Issues and News for Consumers
The National Association of REALTORS distributes Home Delivery every month to real
estate, personal finance and consumer journalists as a resource for background or story ideas.
Single and Looking – For a Home Going Green Saves Green A Steady Pulse for Housing
Studies show that women are more According to NAR research, 65 Americans remain convinced that
financially and socially independent percent of new home buyers see buying a home is a good long-term
than ever before, and that more than their home’s energy efficiency as investment. Nearly nine out of 10
half of all adult women live without an important consideration. consumers believe that buying a
a partner. And for more and more However, the initial cost of home is a good financial decision,
of these single women, it’s house “going green” is still a significant according to the 2007 National
before spouse. factor in many people’s decisions Housing Pulse Survey, released
to purchase energy-efficient earlier this month.
According to NAR’s 2007 Profile home features.
of Home Buyers and Sellers, The survey, which measures how
released in November at the annual Today’s green-savvy home affordable housing issues affect
REALTORS® Conference & Expo, buyers and sellers have many consumers, also shows that 59
one-fourth of all recent first-time options. Sellers whose homes percent of respondents think that now
home buyers were single women. meet the EPA energy efficiency is a good time to buy. That number is
Single women also represented 20 standard have a valuable even higher at 64 percent in areas
percent of all home buyers, up 2 marketing point – EPA studies where home prices have recently
percent from 10 years ago. show that these homes deliver declined. For more information, visit:
$200-$400 in savings on utility http://www.realtor.org/government_a
In contrast, the percentage of single bills per year. ffairs/housing_opportunity/index.html
men buying homes is decreasing.
Nine percent of all recent home Buyers can use green mortgages Story Springboard
buyers were single men, compared that will help them make It’s a nice place, but I can’t
to 11 percent 10 years ago. environmentally friendly afford to live there
improvements to their home. One NAR research shows that
With more choices for investing example is an FHA-insured affordable housing continues to
and saving, many women are Energy Efficiency Mortgage be a greater concern than jobs,
choosing homeownership as a way (EEM) offered by HUD – for crime, terrorism or the
of building wealth over the long more information, visit environment. What are Realtors
term. http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sf in your area doing to promote
h/eem/energy-r.cfm. affordable housing? What other
Story Springboard initiatives exist to ensure that
Who are the women buyers Story Springboard area residents have access to
in your neighborhood? Is going green growing on affordable housing? To learn
Talk to your local Realtor home buyers and sellers? about some successful local
association about buyer Interview Realtors in your area programs, visit
demographics in your area – about how they are marketing http://www.realtor.org/governme
how do they compare to the green features in homes. What’s nt_affairs/housing_opportunity/p
national picture? How are the demand for green? How are rograms/ambassadors_for_cities/
Realtors in your area serving homeowners making their homes ambassador_designees.html
single women buyers? What more energy efficient? For more
differences do they see information on green homes,
between the genders when it visit: Please contact Meredith Dunn,
comes to buying a home? http://www.realtor.org/libweb.nsf 202/383-7515, or via e-mail at
/pages/fg313 mdunn@realtors.org, for additional
ideas, sources, data and resources.
Home Delivery
November 2007
Volume VI, Issue 11