RISMEDIA, Feb. 5, 2007-With the conclusion of Super Bowl Sunday, an event widely recognized as the kick-off to the spring home-buying season, a nationwide survey of existing homeowners reveals that men and women operate differently during the home-buying process. In fact, nearly half of those women surveyed (43%) said they did not spend enough time shopping for their new home, while less then one quarter of all men surveyed (23%) said they spent too much time during the buying process. The survey was conducted from January 16-19, 2007 by Countrywide Home Loans.
Interestingly, the survey revealed that both men and women saw room for improvement in the way they approach the home-buying process. Those surveyed said that when buying their next home, they would:
1) Save more money for down payment and closing costs (25%)
2) Learn more about the home buying process before they began their home purchase negotiations (25%)
3) Purchase a new house instead of an older home (22%)
4) Buy in a different neighborhood (21%)
As with any financial decision, consumers should carefully evaluate their options and fully understand both the benefits and drawbacks before making a home purchase.
"Historically, the spring and summer are the busiest months for home buying. The inventory of new homes is usually at its peak, and many families want to be in a new home before school starts in the fall," said Doug Perry, senior vice president of Countrywide Home Loans. "As families embark on the upcoming home-buying season, we know there is no magical formula to level all of the bumps one may encounter in the home-buying process, but some misconceptions can easily be put into perspective."