Houses are a dream for many Americans, as it signifies establishment of themselves and their families, usually a larger amount of space compared to apartments, and a better situation (generally) in neighborhoods that tend to be quieter than the hustle and bustle of the main urban districts where many apartment complexes are built.
Houses, as seen by many, were part of the American dream for decades, perhaps until now. It’s the dream of that two story house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a dog (usually a golden retriever), and a host of neighbors that are generally friendly and attempt to make the transition from apartment living to suburbs fairly easily.
A house has many positive factors compared to an apartment, from which many families move from in an attempt to:
Get more space. An apartment generally has a fixed amount of space associated with it. Generally it is less than 2000 square feet. Homes are generally more spacious than other living properties and can be seen as a better layout of space as well.
Move away from urban centers. This is a big deal of people in a house are trying to relocate to the suburbs from urban centers, such as the downtowns and midtowns of cities, where hustle and bustle is constant, noise is constant, and higher crime is a possibility.
Invest, rather than rent. A house is an incredible investment, one that should grow and appreciate in value over time along with the rises and falls of the neighborhood as a whole and property values in nearby areas. Renting is a simple matter of paying money for a place with no long term reward.
Taken one by one, a person moving from an apartment into a house generally gets more space, although this is not entirely true for all past and present situations. A house generally will have more bedrooms, living space, yard space, and total property space than an apartment. The last is almost always true.
The living space of a house will sometimes be comparable to a large apartment, though that is usually comparing a small house to a large apartment. Equal size differentials and the house will be bigger (small to small, large to large, etc.). However, where the house really kills it is the property space, which generally includes a front and back yard.
This yard space is huge, not just for the family as a whole but if they have a pet like a dog to run around in. The living space allows for a small playground to be built, for a garden to be planted, for sports to be played in (family only). The overall property will have more space than an apartment even if the living space is not as much.
Taken one by one, the move to suburban centers and away from urban centers is a prime reason many people, men, women, couples, etc., search for a house. Although it is possible to buy a house in the middle of an urban area, it is equally likely to buy a house in the suburbs, where there is more premium on space and quiet.
There is also generally less crime in suburban areas than in urban centers, as crime is often concentrated in downtown and midtown areas, where a lot of people live and where a lot of people meet and get together. This means that crime is a reason people leave for the suburbs.
If a neighborhood is crime ridden, it will have less property value per property size and house size than a neighborhood that doesn’t.
Here are some statistics:
- Realtor.com predicts that 61% of homebuyers in 2017 will be under the age of 35
- 32% of people looking to buy new homes are first time home buyers
- According to Zillow, more than half of people looking for homes are looking for one that has not been lived in
There are some terms people search for when looking to buy a house: houses for sale, homes for sale, finding a good neighborhood school, media homes for sale, luxury homes for sale, etc. Houses for sale is a common search term usually tacked onto a city name, like houses for sale in Chicago or houses for sale in Edmonton
