Still looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day romance? You better be ready to sign a mortgage.
According to a recent survey by Trulia, 1 in 3 women and almost 20% of men prefer to date homeowners, while only 2% of Americans prefer to date renters. Is it stability? Financial prowess? The ability to say, “Let’s have a drink at my place” and really mean it? Who knows? But percentages don’t lie.
And if you still live with your parents, you better get out of there fast. Turns out only 6% of men and 4% of women are willing to date someone living with their parents. This probably comes as no surprise.
But what will surprise you is that men find the idea of cohabitating to save money more attractive than women — by almost a 10% margin. Nearly 80% of men are in favor of the idea, while about 70% of women are ready to throw in the towel and make the commitment. These are higher percentages than ever before, probably because everyone is equally broke right now.
Trulia also released some stats on what makes men and women fall in love with homes. The usual stereotypes are present in the survey: women look for great master-bathrooms, walk-in closets and gourmet kitchens, while men focus more on home entertainment systems. Pools were a virtual tie (though lower than one might expect at around 26%), while men liked hot tubs 4% more than women.
Interestingly enough, women were more likely to be tipped by a wooden deck than men, as 58% of women wanted a walkable patio space, while 51% of men did. I guess half of the surveyed men are cool with charring their meat outdoors, even if its on the lawn.
If you are looking for more insightful tips, not to fear, this is just a sneak peak. Trulia will release the full results on Monday.
But for now, if you are a guy looking to attract a woman for the long term, you should buy a home — preferably with a spacious walk-in closet, a luxurious master-bathroom, stainless steel appliances and ample ‘thin’ mirrors. If you are a woman looking for a man, invest in a state of the art surround sound and a hot tub. And even if it doesn’t end up working out, you’ll at least have increased the resale value of your house.
I think I see cupid peeking out from behind that for sale sign.
