When Laura Levi decided to sell her one-bedroom Capitol Hill condo, she knew what she wanted in her next home: new construction, a safe neighborhood and someone else to take care of the yard.
For less than $250,000 the 34-year-old found a new second-floor carriage home in Stapleton that fit the description. It even includes people to take care of the landscaping.
“Because I’m solo,” Levi said, “it gives me a sense of security just knowing that I’m not easily accessible to anyone. It’s a good investment for me since I’m living on my own.”
Homebuilders are paying ever more attention to women like Levi. Nationally, single women accounted for 21 percent of all recent home purchases, according to a January study done by the National Association of Realtors. The number of single male buyers has hovered around 10 percent since 1993.
Women also are responsible for making the final decision about home purchases 87 percent of time, a trend fed by their increasing levels of education and job experience.
In recent years, homebuilders such as Louisville-based McStain Neighborhoods and Meritage Homes Corp., with corporate offices in Arizona and Texas, have been asking women about the kinds of layout and amenities they like.
For Meritage, that means replacing traditional studies with separate female and male work spaces, according to spokeswoman Tina Martelon. It also means adding open loft areas on the second floor and locating laundry rooms and “craft rooms” close to the kitchen.
“We have tried to take our floor plans and create homes specifically for moms or females who are working from home,” Martelon said. “The female is often running a part-time or full-time business from home and needs her own space.”
Architects also have moved laundry rooms to the main level to make things easier for the mostly female chore-doers. As more families invite their parents to move in, that change also makes it easier for older residents to do the laundry without having to climb stairs, Martelon said.
“Four of our own employees have their moms live with them, more as a relationship where Grandma can help out and take care of the kids,” she said.
Women also are interested in what their homes are made of, said Caroline Hoyt, co-owner of McStain Homes in Boulder. “They care a lot about a house that’s healthy for their families, and the men haven’t been that interested in it.
“While men get excited about the technology of green building stuff, women are more concerned about things like, Is there going to be mold? Are the surfaces safe? Is the paint good for my family?”
Women may also be partially responsible for the renewed popularity of urban living, said Hoyt. Stay-at-home moms calculate how much gas it takes to drive two family cars in the suburbs and decide they want to be closer to downtown.
“We’ve seen a huge shift toward infill,” Hoyt said. “Women got tired of their families being separated and wanted to be closer in for babysitters and day care.”
Mothers also are more likely to ask for front porches and nearby parks.
“The stay-at-home mom has options, but the working mom just wants to make her life simple and safe and welcoming,” Hoyt said. “When you’re in town, it’s so nice to walk home after school, or walk to a friend’s house and not be driven everywhere.”
