| First-time home buyers, sellers optimistic |
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More than 48% of first-time buyers expect home prices to increase by this time next year, according to a survey by Century 21 Real Estate. The survey posed questions to people who had bought or sold a home in the last year. Sixty percent of first-time home buyers say they didn't understand the process of buying a home. More than 85% of both first-time buyers and sellers said that using a real estate professional was important. The top three skills valued in a real estate professional by both buyers and sellers were knowledge of the area, trustworthiness and responsiveness. More than 80% of buyers believe now is a good time to buy a home. First-time home buyers rated these three factors as the most influential in their decision:
In choosing a home, 95% of first-time home buyers thought price was the most important consideration, but 90% were also very concerned about neighborhood safety. About 54% of first-time sellers think home prices are more affordable now than they were this time last year. And 50% were selling because they were purchasing a property they saw as more attractive and better suited to their needs. Source: Century 21 Real Estate LLC |