How many times have you heard the mantra: Location, Location, Location?

It’s so cliché and pointless to point out. We’re all going to subconsciously gravitate to where we most want to live.

When discussing dreamhomes, I don’t even want to focus on location. There is something else that is trending that is just as, if not more important.

Want to know what it is?

It too starts with an “L”.

Lifestyle, Lifestyle, Lifestyle!

This should be a no brainer

Sometimes, what you need is not what everyone else thinks you need. Whether you are 55+ or a new homebuyer, your needs are unique to you, your age, your stage of life and your personal habits.

For example, a young millennial couple might value living close to mass transit and having a home with USB plugs integrated into each electrical outlet. Whereas a traditionalist (over 75 yrs old) might see value in having a phone line in every room.

Generation X is going to be raising families and need a house that suits that best, whereas a babyboomer is going to want a house that is better suited for visiting grandchildren, (hopefully) not raising them.

This is very general. The more you dissect each age group, the more you find little nuances that might work better for one than another.

Specialization

As time goes on and building practices evolve, you are going to see more specialization towards lifestyles. There are still a few small developers and builders out there in the marketplace, but more often, we’re seeing the age of mega builders.

These mega builders plan, develop, and build entire communities in-house. Many can crowd out the smaller developers. Some work with other developers. But with them, come large scale community plans. Look no further than the Daybreak Community in Utah, or on a smaller scale, the Water’s Edge Community in Vineyard, Utah if you want more proof.

Like them or not, these large, master planned communities are popping up all over. So that these builders can work together, or so that they can provide a rich diversification, it is in their best interest to break their communities into various segments that target different buyers.

This way, you might have more than one builder in a community, and they won’t be directly competing with their neighbor builder. But this isn’t what you’re interested in. Where this hits home (no pun intended) is that builders are focusing more on what you specifically want in a home.

The days of designing a home with a broad paintbrush to include as many groups of people as possible, are fading.

This has the potential to offer you some incredible value that square footage alone can’t solve.

When you go looking for a new home, ignore the square footage.

Okay, so that may be a bit of a stretch. Square footage is always a plus. But maybe next time you start looking for a house, don’t say, “I want a 2400 sq ft house.” Instead, tell your realtor that you have a family of three, and would like an energy conscious home, close to parks and shops, that is tech friendly, and fits your unique lifestyle.

Homes today, and more so as time progresses, will fit the needs of your lifestyle better. Here at Leisure Villas, we specialize in building communities for people 55 and better. We design everything from the layout of the neighborhood to the layout of the homes to fit your lifestyle best.

We study lifestyle patterns and make not just a dream-home, but a dream-community. Stop by today and see how we are putting you and your lifestyle as our primary priority.