Who’s Wearing the Pants?

Courtesy of Smartkids Software

You Think What?

From time to time the experience of buying a Vancouver home mimics a session of Family Feud. Buyer’s under intense pressure to make the right decision, struggle with their thoughts and with each other as they work through the process of deciding on the mutually correct home buying answer.

Survey Asks

The how, when, what, by whom and why of home buying decisions are the topic of a Coldwell Banker survey. Coldwell claims to have interviewed a 1000 or more participants asking questions that could, given the right circumstance, be the premise for a feud. Noted is a single caveat. The survey was restricted to Americans.

Survey Says…

Women may be inclined to make up their mind more quickly than men …

• When asked how long it took before they knew their home was “right” for them, almost 70 percent of women had made up their mind the day they walked into the house, vs. 62 percent of men. Conversely, significantly more men needed two or more visits: (32 percent of men vs. 23 percent of women).

Women would rather live closer to their extended family than to their job …

• 55 percent of women find it more important to be closer to their extended family (those that do not live in their household) than to their job, compared to only 37 percent of men.

A home’s security is a deal-breaker for both men and women …

• 64 percent of women said that if they found the home of their dreams but had concerns about its security, they would no longer be interested. More than half of men agreed (51 percent).

  Couples say that no one “wears the pants in the relationship” in terms of major financial decisions …

When asked who wears the pants in the relationship (when it comes to major financial decisions, such as purchasing a home), almost 70 percent of respondents living with their significant other said it’s actually mutual.

• However, 23 percent think that they, themselves, wear the pants in the relationship, not their partner. More men than women said this (26 percent vs. 20 percent, respectively).

Men and women agree on how they would use a spare room, for the most part …
When the respondents were asked how they would use an extra 12 x 12 room if it could be anything they wanted, men and women agreed on the top three most popular, and very practical, responses:

• Bedroom: 25 percent
• Office/Study: 15 percent
• Family Room / Den: 11 percent

However, men really do want a “Man Cave”…

• Interestingly, out of the 8 percent who indicated they would turn that spare room into an entertainment center, it was a preponderance of men leading the charge. In fact, four times as many men as women said they would use the extra space for recreation / entertainment.

The Expert Says…

Diann Patton, the Coldwell Banker consumer real estate expert said “These results further validate how critical it is for couples to recognize each other’s differences and work together, from deciding a neighborhood to how to use a spare room.” “Online tools and the expertise of a real estate professional can be particularly helpful for couples, especially if they work together step-by-step along the way.”

*Coldwell’s Full Press Release

**Hat Tip to Norm Fisher via Jason