Home Sellers Focus on Women

With women becoming more informed home buyers, with good negotiating skills and more decision-making power, real estate firms are paying them more attention. “They do the research,” says Deborah Sasser, associate partner at Coldwell Banker Heritage and president of the Dayton, Ohio, chapter of Women’s Council of Realtors. “They are much more involved.” Experts say single women of all ages, including those with college degrees and/or children, are buying homes and investing in rental properties, rather than rent until they decide to get married. Despite having average incomes that are lower than those for single males, single women are less likely to finance home purchases and tend to carry smaller mortgages when they do. Debra White of Exit Realty Partners says women seek the tax benefits, security, and nesting opportunities provided by homeownership. The National Association of Realtors’ 2010 Home Buyers and Sellers Survey indicates that single women accounted for 20 percent of buyers last year, and they are twice as likely as single males to purchase a home. WINKS (Women with Income and No Kids) will account for close to 50 percent of Generation Y households, and they prefer urban and walkable communities, says Home Builders Association of Dayton executive director Walt Hibner. | Read More