Everything changes when you become a parent. As a mother of two beautiful daughters, I can speak with first-hand experience. You begin looking through the world with a new lens on life, which affects many major decisions. I remember looking for a home when I was pregnant with my first child, and I’ll never forget how different my perspective was – I had an entirely new set of criteria than had ever even crossed my mind before having a family. “Where are my kids’ bedrooms in relation to mine?” “How far is the house away from the street?” “How close will I be to my parents and my sister?”
As a real estate professional, I know that home buying is often timed around life’s major milestones. To dig deeper into what matters most to families when purchasing a home, Coldwell Banker Real Estate conducted a survey among homeowners with children under the age of 18. The results show that by living near my in-laws, I’m not in the minority. Instead, 72 percent of the respondents said they live within 30 minutes of their extended family, and 42 percent live within just 10 minutes of their relatives. These findings showcase what I certainly know to be true – having a strong support system nearby is invaluable when raising a family. I feel so lucky that my children’s grandparents play a strong role in their lives, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The data also uncovered that most parents purchased their first home either before getting pregnant or within one year of their child’s birth (65%): 43% purchased their first home before getting pregnant with their first child, 7% made the big move while pregnant, and 15% bought a home before their first child turned one.
This survey is a simple reminder of what makes a house a home: your family. Being a homeowner goes beyond numbers and mortgages. For many of us, it’s also about having a great place where your kids will grow up, a kitchen where you’ll make meals and memories, and a community of loved ones who will be there at every step of the way.
As always, we’d love to hear what you think. How important is proximity to relatives to you, or your customers?
Click here for the full details on the Coldwell Banker survey.
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Diann – Great post. The “investment” angle, while important, is such a minor part of homeownership. raising a family and all the memories that go with it are, as Mastercard says, priceless.
Years from now, I will not be able to sit and tell my grandkids stories about my stock portfolio or my mutual funds but I will be smiling and laughing when I tell them about my experiences in my grandparents house, my childhood home, my first house and my current house.
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