Home buyers choose their home for many different reasons. Using the 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers and a recently released Realtor.com® survey, we can discover these common reasons as well as some surprising reasons for purchasing a home.

  • Among all home buyers in the 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 85 percent purchased a previously owned home, that was typically a detached single-family home.
  • Recently purchased homes were typically 1,870 square feet, and 52 percent of sellers purchased a larger home than the home that they sold.
  • The desire to own a home of their own (30 percent) and the desire for a larger home (10 percent) were the two top factors recent home buyers cited as their reason for purchasing.
  • Recent buyers purchased previously owned homes because of the better price (32 percent), better overall value (31 percent), and for the charm and character (21 percent).
  • The quality of the neighborhood (58 percent), convenience to job (42 percent), and overall affordability of homes (39 percent) were the three most influencing factors when choosing a neighborhood.
  • Realtor.com®’s survey revealed that 33 percent of respondents are open to living in a haunted house, while 42 percent are not open to the idea.
  • In order to choose a haunted home over a non-haunted home, 35 percent require a better neighborhood, 32 percent need larger square footage, and 29 percent would do so if more bedrooms are involved.
  • According to the survey, 28 percent of respondents believe they have lived in a haunted home

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