First Time Home Buyers are Avoiding Fixer Uppers!!!!!

The New standard for first-time buyers is Move-in ready! First- time buyers are no longer looking for fixer-uppers.

While the idea of a starter home has traditionally meant that a property may need a bit of work, a recent survey from Coldwell Banker finds that most first-time buyers aren't looking for those kinds of properties any more. According to the poll, 87 percent of recent first-time buyers said finding a move-in ready home was important to them. In addition, roughly 75 percent said that being close to both their work and other services was a priority, while nearly two-thirds cited schools as a concern.

"There's a real 'a-ha' moment for sellers revealed by this survey that the condition and quality of their home matters a great deal to first-time homebuyers," said Diann Patton, consumer real estate specialist for Coldwell Banker. First-time buyers were also able to take advantage of current conditions, with low home prices and favorable mortgage rates. Sixty-one percent said they were able to get a better price than they expected, and half said they ended up in a better neighborhood than they expected. Catering to first-time buyers remains important, as they make up a significant share of the market. According to the National Association of Realtors, first-time buyers accounted for 33 percent of existing-home sales in December of 2010.