The results of a Harris interactive poll commissioned by Move.com reveals that potential home buyers value "green" building features more than luxury amenities. When given the choice of features like solar energy panels or energy-saving appliances, a whopping 49 percent considered them important, while only 31 percent rated luxury amenities as important.

The survey also revealed that rating the neighborhood they might choose would depend largely on two major factors: crime rates and proximity to work. Somewhat flip-flopping the mindset of homebuyers even just a few years ago, more respondents in the survey admitted that they were willing cut personal spending and sacrifice some comfort to be able to afford a home. As few as 6 percent would, however, be willing to give up their proximity to shopping and a meager 3 percent would give up their proximity to public transportation.

Even though these statistics are telling, the survey also found that a large majority of potential homebuyers -- 81 percent -- say they are facing considerable financial obstacles in purchasing a home, including high prices, a marked uneasiness with the economy, and income concerns as well.

The underlying current from the survey, however, is strong in the long run, with almost half of the respondents expecting conditions for buying a home to improve after the election, 44 percent admitting they would like to purchase a different house and 47 percent wishing to do so within the next five years.

Published: July 31, 2008

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.