1 in 5 Homeowners Have Moved or Would Like to Because Their Community Doesn’t Fit Their Lifestyle

RISMEDIA, July 11, 2011—One in five U.S. homeowners have either moved from their home or would like to move because their neighborhood or community wasn’t ideal for their lifestyle, according to a recent survey by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC in collaboration with leading media and marketing company Meredith Corporation.

The findings bolster Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate’s assertion that community and lifestyle decisions are critical components of the home-buying process. The findings are also the basis of its new “Lifestyle Search” real estate community selection tool on the bhgrealestate.com website that enables prospective home buyers to perform a community search for important lifestyle preferences such as “Family & Community” and “Arts & Recreation.”

“While the relation of price to features has become very favorable in many areas throughout the country, ultimately the surrounding community may determine how happy you are with your home purchase,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC.

Survey respondents noted they would place more weight on lifestyle criteria in future home searches, favoring family-friendly neighborhoods and easy accessibility to cultural activities such as museums and music venues.

Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate’s Lifestyle Search, located on the home page of www.bhgrealestate.com, was developed using a combination of variables that are indicators of the desired lifestyle designation. When a search is conducted, neighborhoods that match all the criteria provided are returned in ranked order by score. Once a community is identified, prospective home buyers can probe deeper into the demographics of a region by accessing the “Know Your Neighborhood” section of www.bhgrealestate.com to find school rankings, crime statistics and income ranges, among other factors.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s Lifestyle Search has two main sections with supporting categories. Under “Family & Community,” home buyers can search by traits such as Family, Health & Safety, Schools, Commuting and Convenience. Under “Arts & Recreation,” home buyers can hone in on lifestyle aspects of a community such as Culture, Fun/Hip, Retail, and Golfer’s Paradise.

For more information, please visit www.BHGRealEstate.com.