Price, Proximity to Work and Design are Key Concerns for Home Buyers

Price and proximity to work are key concerns for first-time home buyers, while trade-up buyers tend to be most focused on the design of the home and the neighborhood, according to "Characteristics of Home Buyers," an analysis of the recently released 2011 American Housing Survey (AHS) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The biennial survey, which is conducted in odd-numbered years by the Census Bureau, covers about 6.8 million home sales that occurred in 2009 and 2010. NAHB's analysis additionally compares the homes that buyers purchased with what they say they want using results from "What Home Buyers Really Want," a new consumer preference survey published by the association.