Yahoo Finance What boomers want when buying a house
Millennials, the “foodie generation,” are frequently chastised for squandering their money on avocado toast instead of saving to buy a home. But it turns out the older generation are just as obsessed with food.
In fact, grocery stores and restaurants are the top amenities boomer homebuyers are looking for, according to a new survey. John Burns Real Estate Consulting surveyed 9,000 registered new home shoppers between 52 and 71 years old.
The survey found that boomers’ next priority is health and wellness: fitness centers and walking trails take third and fourth place when it comes to preferred amenities. But, even boomers aren’t fond of golf, as golf courses ranked 49th among a list of 60 different amenities.
Lesley Deutch, principal at John Burns, points out that the largest active adult community in the country, central Florida’s The Villages, reflects this trend.
“Originally conceived as a golf course community, the Town Squares are now as vibrant as almost any suburb in America,” she said.
Over the past few years, developers have been repurposing golf courses into food-focused use cases like olive groves. This trend is likely to continue, if baby boomers’ preferences are any indication.
Village squares, shopping, community high-speed internet, WiFi, recreational centers, and community-wide events round out boomers’ top 10 desires. This list is nearly indiscernible from what older millennials are looking for as they move out to “surban” environments.
Melody Hahm is a senior writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.
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