How Americans feel about their homes (Article)

Abode attitude
How Americans feel about their homes.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- There's a lot of money riding on just how Americans feel about their homes. The value of residential real estate in the United States is worth upwards of $20 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that close to seven million single family homes are expected to change hands this year alone, at a median price of about $227,000.

Despite the big money to be made - or lost - in real estate, only 5 percent of Americans regard their houses primarily as investments, according to a recent report on the attitudes of Americans toward their homes.

Coldwell Banker surveyed more than 2,500 U.S. homeowners over 25 years old with household income of at least $75,000. The responses from this moderately well-off group revealed that the vast majority, 67 percent, think of the house they live in primarily as a home, not a financial vehicle.

That loyalty to their existing home was further demonstrated by their answers to a question about whether or not they would trade up from it to a better one if they could do so without affecting the rest of their lifestyle. Most (53 percent) said no or probably not.

This demographic seems to be well satisfied with the lives they lead and the reports of Americans draining equity out of their homes to finance lavish lifestyles may be exaggerated. The survey found that 63 percent of respondents said they had taken no cash out of their homes for at least three years and 77 percent had no intention of doing so in coming years.

"The majority don't look at their homes as piggy banks," says Coldwell Banker CEO Jim Gillespie.

All that seems to indicate a high level of attachment, one that may seem surprising in people as mobile as Americans, who move an average of every seven years, according to NAR.

When they do move
The survey found that most of the Americans moving relocate to either equally crowded or even more densely populated areas; two-thirds moved either from one city to another, from one suburb to another or from suburb to city.

Most of us leave our hometowns; 81 percent live someplace other than where they were raised and 52 percent live at least 200 miles from there.

And although almost everyone has more than one reason for moving, the ones they cite most often include their careers (48 percent) or to improve their lifestyles (45 percent). More than 27 percent relocate to pursue a relationship.

Other reasons for moving include finding a more affordable location (15 percent) or a more affordable house (13 percent), a need for more space to serve a growing family (15 percent) and to be closer to extended family (16 percent). Divorce plays a role in 11 percent of these moves and displeasure with their current homes is cited by 12 percent of respondents.

Many people (13 percent) just want to leave winters behind by going to a warmer climate.

What Americans don't want
What these Americans are not doing is moving into "handy-man specials." Sixty-eight percent said they bought spanking new homes or ones requiring very little updating.

Gillespie sounds a bit rueful over that. He says, "Homebuyers may be missing opportunities to get more house for their dollar. . . . Sweat equity can transform a home from a fixer upper into a beautiful living space worth much more than its purchase price."

Perhaps lower-income Americans than the ones covered in this survey are buying the fixer-uppers. Or maybe these folks just don't have the time, skills or inclination to spend their all-too-short vacations scraping, spackling and painting.

Gillespie says, "People in [the higher] income range are looking for lifestyle, in a home that's already completed. Only 9 percent of them bought a fixer-upper and many of them were in high priced markets such as California," where even moderately high income people face affordability problems.

Re: How Americans feel about their homes (Article)

Wow - being that we wanted a fixer upper I am a little surprised by how many people want brand new homes!!! We love the character of our home (built in 1938) and also the character of the neighborhood (mostly homes built in the 30's & 40s). My FH refers to all of these new developments as "cookie-cutter" neighborhoods and he refused to even look at any!

Re: How Americans feel about their homes (Article)

Re: How Americans feel about their homes (Article)

I'm not surprised about the people who don't want to do anything to their homes.

We were like that in a way, but we bought a house that needed some things but nothing that couldn't be done over time.

New homes have an appeal but I do like the character of older homes..mine built in 1931.

Re: How Americans feel about their homes (Article)