Single Females Buying More Homes

According to an article at NuWire Investor, since the mid-1990s, single women purchased homes at double the rate of single men. The single female home buyer now represents 18% of the real estate market. This compares to only 10% for single male buyers.

One conclusion of the article is that men tend to gravitate toward the stock market for investment, while women like property. Perhaps a little sexist, the article also concludes that women buy homes they love, while men tend to look for bargains or good investments. This may be validated by a survey in which 46% of female buyers reported that they rely on their emotions when they evaluate a home, while 56% think more about value and cost. Conversely, 76 percent of men are concerned primarily with a home’s value.

Financial freedom for women is a major factor, as the Fair Housing Act of 1968 stopped much of the discrimination in lending and mortgages for single women. Customs are changing as well, with more women in the workplace, and they’re not waiting for a mate to shop for a home. The shrinking of the gap in wages for women and men is also a factor. More women can afford a home and qualify for a mortgage.

With the improvement in the housing and mortgage markets after the crash that began in 2007, many single females are seeing an opportunity to buy into the market and experience value appreciation as the markets continue to improve. Some have actually been turning over their properties in three to five years at a profit, as they bought at significant discounts during the down years. One woman interviewed has bought and sold three properties, all at a profit.

Men who have dominated the real estate investment scene in the past are going to be bumping into more women in the future.