Survey Finds School Boundaries Huge Factor in Purchase Decisions

With summer drawing to a close and a new school year approaching, a new survey from ""Realtor.com"":http://www.realtor.com/ shows school boundaries factor in heavily for many homebuyers when they consider their purchasing decision.

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In a poll of buyers planning to purchase a home within the next two years, Realtor.com found that three out of five respondents will consider school boundaries when choosing their next home. Out of that number, 90.53 percent said they are either an ""important"" or ""somewhat important"" factor.

Of those who said school boundaries will have an impact on their decision, the majority said they would be willing to pay above budget for the convenience. According to the survey, about 23.59 percent would pay 1-5 percent above budget, 20.70 percent would pay 6-10 percent above budget, and 8.98 percent would pay 11-20 percent above budget, Realtor.com reported.

In addition, many of that group would be willing to sacrifice a number of amenities to live close to the school of their choice; 62.39 percent of respondents would give up a home with a pool or spa, 50.60 percent would give up accessibility to shopping, and 41.99 percent would pass up a neighborhood with nearby parks and trails if it meant their children would go to the school of their choosing.

Finally, Realtor.com asked homebuyers how far they would like to be located from the school they chose. The results found that 45.19 percent would be happy simply living within the school's boundaries, 33.67 percent want to live within a few miles so their children can ride the school bus, and 17.20 percent want to live within one mile so their children can walk to school.