More important to buyers than a new kitchen? Schools

A July survey by realtor.com found that while buyers understand that they’re going to have to make some compromises to find a home in today’s market, schools remain non-negotiable on their home wish list. A whopping 78 percent of buyers who currently live in their preferred school district gave up desirable home features to get there, and nearly 75 percent of respondents – and not all current parents – said that schools were important in their home search.

The first home features to go in favor of schools according to the survey were a garage (19 percent), a large backyard (18 percent), an updated kitchen (17 percent), desired number of bedrooms (17 percent), and an outdoor living area (16 percent). According to realtor.com’s spring home buyer survey, these are among the more sought-after home features among buyers right now.

So which schools in Washington state are buyers checking out? Realtor.com’s 2018 school search data show that Hutton Elementary School in Spokane and Washington School for the Deaf in Vancouver are the most searched elementary and secondary schools in the state. Read the full report from realtor.com.