It is that time of year again… Back to school season. Parents all over the country are rejoicing at the thought of their children starting school back up in the fall! The start of a new school season can mean the real estate market will slow down. Families usually try to move over the summer to have the family settled down before the kids go back to school. However, some families may be willing to relocate during the school year if they are able to stay within the same school district. School districts can have a big impact on families looking to buy a home. They may narrow down their home search to a very limited inventory just to stay within a certain school district.
Realtor.com performed a survey to assess what factors school districts played in home searches. According to the survey 91% of respondents indicated that school district boundaries are important to their home search.
They also found that buyers are willing to take the following measures to buy within a certain school district:
- 50% of buyers are willing to spend 1-20% above their budget.
- 19% of buyers are willing to forfeit a bedroom
- 19% of buyers are willing to forfeit a garage
Should school districts be a factor in every home search even if potential buyers don’t have children that will be attending public schools? To a degree, yes they should be. School districts can increase the value of your home. Being in a preferred school district can attract more families to your home and even create competition amongst potential buyers.