During a heavy rainstorm a few weeks ago and another a few months ago, we watched large recycling carts float down the street. In 20 years in this subdivision, we’d not seen that before.
If we hadn’t seen something like this in 20 years, does that validate any climate-change concerns? As homeowners, should we be concerned?
It’s safe to say that some people are concerned about climate change just as some aren’t. Regardless of your position, a survey by Anytime Estimate presented a snapshot of how Americans regard climate change in relation to home buying.
Anytime Estimate used results from its survey of 1,000 Americans on July 27. Each respondent answered up to 21 questions related to climate change.
The study found that 87 percent of Americans believe climate changes pose a risk to the world. Further, the survey found that Americans are willing to pay an average of $30,000 more for a home that is safer from climate-related risks such as natural disasters.
The study also determined that Americans’ priority in buying a home was the low cost of living, home prices, proximity to family, avoiding environmental disasters or extreme weather occurrences, proximity to amenities or popular areas, and home insurance prices.
Also, the survey asked respondents whether they think climate change will impact the real estate industry. Sixty percent of Americans think climate change will affect the cost of utilities.
Despite disaster risk ranking in the lower half of priorities, 61 percent of Americans say disasters have played some role in deciding where to move. Of the environmental risks that most common people consider when relocating, 24 percent say extreme temperatures and hurricanes were the reasons.
The survey also found that homeowners are slightly more likely than non-homeowners to buy in a high-risk area, possibly because of previous experience with environmental costs and impacts.
About Anytime Estimate: Anytime Estimate was acquired by Clever Real Estate, a free service that matches home sellers with its nationwide network of agents. The service helps users crunch mortgage numbers, home purchases, refinancing, and more. It also features calculators and articles.
Report review: Whew! The Anytime Estimate study is exhaustive. The homebuying portion of the survey was just a tiny part of the overall climate-change survey. The survey features plenty of downloaded data and dynamic charts. It’s a five-bunny rabbit hole. Carve out plenty of time to absorb the data. 🐇 🐇 🐇 🐇 🐇
