Traffic and work commutes continue to rank as a top concern among house-hunters. A poll from the National Association of Realtors finds that about 75 percent of prospective home buyers focus at least somewhat on lowering their commuting costs; while just 27 percent said that commuting expenses did not matter to them. About 14 percent of those surveyed reported that they settled for a home other than the one they wanted in order to shorten their travel time to the office. “There is no way to solve traffic congestion,” said Brookings Institution economist Anthony Downs, speaking recently at a real estate event. “Congestion is simply an inexorable part of the way cities grow.” | Read More