For nearly everyone house-hunting, the qualities of the house itself are important, but even more important are the qualities of the community in which the house is located. People want to be sure that they mesh well with the demographic(s) residing around them, and also that they have fairly easy access to the resources they need. Home builders and real estate agencies have been constructing master planned communities in order to appease large groups of prospective homeowners.
What to Look For in a Planned Community
A master-planned community is one that is carefully planned from its inception and is usually constructed in a previously undeveloped area. The goal of them is to incorporate everything the wants and needs of a large number of people buying a new home. Different types of public facilities and schools are what to look for in a planned community, among other things.
For example, being energy-efficient is a big concern for many Americans, with 94% of respondents on a survey saying that they preferred Energy-Star rated appliances. Because of that, and the fact that green-certification labels on homes add an average of 9% to their selling values, it would be in the best interest of a master-planned community to incorporate green/energy efficient power supplies/public resources.
Schooling is also valued by Americans, as shown by results on many surveys. One such survey indicated that over 45% of people wanted a home within school boundaries, and another showed that one in five (20%) Americans would trade a bedroom or garage in exchange for a better quality school. Master planned community developers would take note of this demand and incorporate a quality school central to all residents of the community.
Because of how much consumer input goes into master-planning a community, said communities tend to thrive and be very successful, and become self-sustaining communities in their own right.
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