{"id":2757,"date":"2017-08-11T14:41:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-11T21:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=2757"},"modified":"2026-03-19T07:53:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:53:16","slug":"location-location-location-what-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every Realtor, every HGTV show, every casual Sunday-morning house hunter… everyone says it. Location, location, location.<\/strong> This phrase is more than just a buzzwordy catchphrase. When it comes to real estate, it\u2019s gospel (gospel, gospel).<\/p>\n

No one really knows much about where the famous phrase originated or who coined it. References to it date back to the Chicago Tribune Classifieds in 1926, though it was used in a way that suggests it was a familiar expression already. Regardless of where it came from, it\u2019s been on the tip of our tongues for 100-plus years, which shows us something profound about the housing market: Location matters.<\/p>\n

Here are a few things about your home\u2019s location that matter the most:<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Lifestyle & Land<\/h2>\n

Beach-front, mountain-top, city-view \u2014 these are all highly sought after property types. The land the house is on and the lifestyle that goes with it is location\u2019s first interest \u2014 whether it\u2019s a quick elevator ride to a street full of restaurants or a sunset worthy of magazine photos. A lot may be forgiven if a property is close to or even within view of these things.<\/p>\n

Take some of the dilapidated homes of Newport Beach, for example. A tiny layout, peeling paint and a grand total of three pictures online\u2026 and yet they\u2019re still selling for a $1 million<\/a>-plus.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

Because they\u2019re close enough to the beach that you track in sand, get seagull poop on your car and can smell the ocean when you open up the windows in the evening. These features (seagull poop and all) are worth the steep price tag, even if the house could benefit from a good bulldozing.<\/p>\n

As a Seller:<\/strong> Play up the vibe \u2014 whether it\u2019s mountains, city or beach. If someone is looking in your area, they likely know what it\u2019s next to, but why not put it on display? If you\u2019re by the beach, put towels and flip flops by the door. If there\u2019s a city view, open up the curtains and show off the big windows.<\/p>\n

As a Buyer:<\/strong> If the city view is driving up the price tag but you don\u2019t see demand (if there are no other offers or a home\u2019s been on the market for a while) your Realtor will help you negotiate down the price based on the inspection. In the Newport case, that peeled paint and need for new plumbing will be to your benefit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Source: (James & Carol Lee\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Weather & Natural Disasters<\/h2>\n

There is no place immune to natural disasters and weather, but it\u2019s not a dumb question to ask: Would you rather experience a tornado or an earthquake?<\/a> A frigid winter or a hot, hot, hot summer? These (among a few other things) are some of the differences between living in Ohio and San Francisco, or between Montana and Texas.<\/p>\n

In Flint, Michigan, no one can sell their house right now thanks to lead-contaminated water. In New Orleans, residents and new buyers weigh the city\u2019s rich history with the risk of living so close to the hurricane-prone coast. The past and future of disaster zones greatly affects the value of homes in that area.<\/p>\n

As a Seller:<\/strong> Temperate climate (and the optimism of spring) is the best time for selling. HomeLight suggests March and April are prime time for selling<\/a> almost everywhere. The snow has melted but the heat hasn\u2019t hit hard yet. If you\u2019re putting your home up for sale, consult a Realtor in January or February.<\/p>\n

As a Buyer:<\/strong> Don\u2019t get discouraged when there are no homes for sale in July in Phoenix. It\u2019s all about timing. Also ask yourself what disasters and weather you can stomach. If you can\u2019t handle a tornado, don\u2019t move to Kansas. If you can\u2019t bear the idea of shoveling your driveway every morning, don\u2019t look too seriously in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\"Consider
Source (resized): (Chris\/ Flickr<\/a> via Creative Commons Legal Code<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crime<\/h2>\n

\u201cCrime\u201d is a term that has a wide range \u2014 from a lady getting her purse stolen at the supermarket to murders happening on street corners. \u201cCrimes\u201d are not created equal and so sometimes stats are hard to parse, as is the data about how crime affects home values.<\/p>\n

The Center for American Progress<\/a> conducted a crime report in 2012. It says \u201ca 10 percent reduction in homicides would lead to a 0.83 percent increase in housing values the following year.\u201d That said, just because a city has a reputation for a certain crimes doesn\u2019t mean the whole place is bad news.<\/p>\n

Take, for example, Chicago. Chicago has experienced some of the highest murder rates in the United States and has consistently made the news for it. However, high crime in Englewood and Fuller Park doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t consider Chicago at all. It\u2019s a big city. If you live in a safe niche like Forest Glen or Edison Park, your resale value will remain high.<\/p>\n

To find crime information on a neighborhood, visit CrimeReports.com and use a zip code to search. Also visit the city\u2019s official government website (example: Phoenix.gov) for statistics. The FBI website<\/a> allows you to search for registered sex offenders living nearby too.<\/p>\n

As a Seller:<\/strong> If you live in an area that has a great neighborhood watch program and has very few incidents of crime of any kind, talk to your Realtor about using this fact in your marketing description. Cul-de-sac in a gated community? You have location gold.<\/p>\n

As a Buyer:<\/strong> Do your research. Let your Realtor help you determine what\u2019s \u201cup-and-coming\u201d and what\u2019s \u201cnever coming back.\u201d She can also help you decipher what your city\u2019s crime stats say about the areas you\u2019re looking to move to.<\/p>\n

\"Consider<\/a>
Source: (Jed Dela Cruz\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h2>\n

Mobility<\/h2>\n

The American Public Transportation Association and the National Association of Realtors commissioned a study<\/a> of real estate values in five cities. The report reads: \u201cConsumers are willing to pay more for housing located in areas that exemplify new urbanist principles or are \u2018traditional neighborhood developments.\u2019 These neighborhoods are walkable, higher density, and have a mix of uses as well as access to jobs and amenities such as transit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Public Transportation<\/h3>\n

The economics of a city are layered and complicated. In a city that\u2019s expensive to live in \u2014 say, Manhattan \u2014 many people live outside the city and commute into it for work. This is why NYC\u2019s crumbling subway infrastructure<\/a> has been a point of heated conversation lately.<\/p>\n

From hospitality to retail, how will jobs get done if the people who work them can\u2019t get into the city? This dynamic makes public transportation critical to the well-being of a city.<\/p>\n

According to the above-mentioned report, homes next to public transportation in Boston, outperformed other homes in the region by 129 percent!<\/p>\n

What public transportation is available in the area? A light rail system, a subway, a network of buses, commuter vans?<\/p>\n

Accessibility<\/h3>\n

Also consider getting to and from a location. How far is the closest commercial airport? Does Amtrak come through town? Is the town big enough to have taxis or a ride-share service available? You might not think about this as you\u2019re strolling through the jack-and-jill bathroom in your dream home, but the first 2.5 hour trip you take to pick up your in-laws at the airport will be an eye-opener.<\/p>\n

Walkability<\/h3>\n

More than what\u2019s available in your city is what\u2019s available in your immediate walking distance. Evaluate what\u2019s around \u2014 a supermarket? The local pub? A gas station? A hardware store? If it\u2019s important to you to be able to walk to Starbucks to get a latte and a newspaper every Sunday morning, make sure there\u2019s one within a comfortable walking distance. Use Google Maps to see what\u2019s around and use WalkScore.com<\/a> to check out a home\u2019s walkability score.<\/p>\n

Traffic<\/h3>\n

Get on the I-5, pull up to a zoo of brake lights and you\u2019ll commiserate with all those ex-LA dwellers who talk about the traffic they \u201csure don\u2019t miss.\u201d I-5 might be a stark example, but if the noise or the time it takes to get places tests your patience, take it seriously.<\/p>\n

A high-traffic area might include: if a home overlooks a freeway, shares a retaining wall with a main street, is right next to the railroad tracks or is in a flight path.
\n
\nAs a Seller:<\/strong> Being within walking distance of neighborhood essentials is a beautiful feature to tout. Tell others about the park across the way, the best restaurant in town and the Little Free Library<\/a> that belongs to the neighbors down the street.<\/p>\n

As a Buyer:<\/strong> Determine the amount of traffic you\u2019re willing to sit in, road noise you\u2019re willing to put up with and distance you\u2019re willing to go pick up someone from the airport. Also think about how you will get to work every day. If you depend on public transportation, be sure you\u2019re looking at housing in proximity to it.<\/p>\n

\"Consider<\/a>
Source: (Element5 Digital\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h2>\n

Jobs & Schools<\/h2>\n

In 2012, the average home sale in Seattle was $260,000. Today, with big companies including giants Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks in residence, the average home price has skyrocketed to $525,000. With such a demand for inventory, bidding wars often result in houses going for $100,000 over asking price and selling in the span of just a couple days.<\/p>\n

Be careful of towns based around a single factory or company. Though you shouldn\u2019t count them out, consider the value of your home (and your livelihood) should that factory close or that company move to a larger or less expensive place to operate. The small towns in the Rust Belt are a cautionary tale.<\/p>\n

Though schools in a district can change fast, parents will often look at the ratings for schools around a house. Poorly rated or poor-performing schools bring down a neighborhood. Proximity to both private and public schools elevates it.<\/p>\n

As a Seller:<\/strong> If your home is in the best school district in the country or major companies abound, say so! If you don\u2019t have kids, or you\u2019re just not up on the latest school board rankings, ask your real estate agent. The good ones will know all about the schools nearby.<\/p>\n

As a Buyer:<\/strong> Research what\u2019s around town before you start looking at houses. Know your school districts by visiting GreatSchools.org<\/a> and what options you\u2019ll have once you move. Also consider how far you\u2019re willing to commute to work.<\/p>\n

Location is a Complex Equation<\/h2>\n

\u201cYou can change the price of the house. You can change the shape the house is in. But you can\u2019t change the location,\u201d says Toni Spott, a top-selling Realtor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

Fortunately there are many factors that go into identifying whether a location is good or bad; it\u2019s not all or nothing. A buyer looking for a house on the beach may value the location enough to ignore the abandoned lot next door. A house with a mountain view could lose a buyer\u2019s appeal when they find out it\u2019s located in a dangerous neighborhood.<\/p>\n

When it comes down to it, everything surrounding a home matters… Location, location, location.<\/p>\n

Article Image\u00a0Source: (Guillaume Bourdages\/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Everyone says it \u2014 \u201clocation, location, location\u201d \u2014 but what does that even mean? There\u2019s a reason this buzzwordy catchphrase is real estate gospel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":9187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[321,335],"tags":[354],"class_list":["post-2757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attract-buyers","category-marketing-tips","tag-location"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLocation, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everyone says it \u2014 \u201clocation, location, location\u201d \u2014 but what does that even mean? There\u2019s a reason this buzzwordy catchphrase is real estate gospel.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Everyone says it \u2014 \u201clocation, location, location\u201d \u2014 but what does that even mean? There\u2019s a reason this buzzwordy catchphrase is real estate gospel.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HomeLight Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-11T21:41:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T14:53:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/location-location-location-what-matters.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chels Knorr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ChelsKnorr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chels Knorr\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel","description":"Everyone says it \u2014 \u201clocation, location, location\u201d \u2014 but what does that even mean? There\u2019s a reason this buzzwordy catchphrase is real estate gospel.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel","og_description":"Everyone says it \u2014 \u201clocation, location, location\u201d \u2014 but what does that even mean? There\u2019s a reason this buzzwordy catchphrase is real estate gospel.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/","og_site_name":"HomeLight Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/","article_published_time":"2017-08-11T21:41:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-19T14:53:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/location-location-location-what-matters.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chels Knorr","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ChelsKnorr","twitter_site":"@gohomelight","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chels Knorr","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/"},"author":{"name":"Chels Knorr","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b55783908dc057db55dfe4ca97be10fb"},"headline":"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel","datePublished":"2017-08-11T21:41:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T14:53:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/"},"wordCount":1925,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/location-location-location-what-matters.jpg","keywords":["Location"],"articleSection":["Attract Buyers","Marketing Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/","name":"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/location-location-location-what-matters.jpg","datePublished":"2017-08-11T21:41:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T14:53:16+00:00","description":"Everyone says it \u2014 \u201clocation, location, location\u201d \u2014 but what does that even mean? There\u2019s a reason this buzzwordy catchphrase is real estate gospel.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/location-location-location-what-matters.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/location-location-location-what-matters.jpg","width":1500,"height":800,"caption":"Source: (Guillaume Bourdages\/ Unsplash)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/location-location-location-what-matters\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Location, Location, Location: Questioning the Real Estate Gospel"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/","name":"HomeLight Blog","description":"Real Estate Advice from America's Top Agents","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"HomeLight","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo-hr-color.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo-hr-color.png","width":1348,"height":262,"caption":"HomeLight"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/","https:\/\/x.com\/gohomelight","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/homelight\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCimugR9XF17-OZ7B9fNnxWw","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HomeLight"],"description":"Everything you need to know to sell your house faster and for more money. Articles, guides, and advice from top agents all over the U.S.","email":"support@homelight.com","telephone":"(888) 688-0350","legalName":"HomeLight","foundingDate":"2012-01-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"201","maxValue":"500"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b55783908dc057db55dfe4ca97be10fb","name":"Chels Knorr","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d70195e084e03f63dfe6180188813f94c06b8215638d0e4086ba33c9d628f3f4?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d70195e084e03f63dfe6180188813f94c06b8215638d0e4086ba33c9d628f3f4?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Chels Knorr"},"description":"Chels holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Northwest Institute of Literary Arts. She is an experienced writer and editor who writes on a variety of topics in addition to real estate. Her work has been published by Intuit QuickBooks, 24 Hour Fitness, Wayfair and Angie's List, and several other publications, both literary and commercial. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/ChelsKnorr"],"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/author\/chels-knorr\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}