Survey: Homeownership is top priority for military veterans

Owning a home is one of the most important things to accomplish for military personnel upon returning from service, according to a new Century 21 survey.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, found that homeownership is a top priority for 75 percent of military families. Among the reasons that becoming a homeowner is so significant to veterans are a desire to have their own residence (73 percent), establishing a household (43 percent) and financial security (36 percent). In addition, the majority of veterans (88 percent) indicated that owning a home makes them feel safer.

“Homeownership is a top priority for many, but is especially significant to those returning from a tour of duty,” said Rick Davidson, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC, in a statement. “Veterans have done so much to serve our country.”

Only 33 percent of military families say they look for a home within a year of returning from active duty. The biggest obstacles reported were the price of homes, the inability to come up with a down payment, and personal savings.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• When asked what the top amenities or features are that they look for in a home, space outweighed specific features with the number of bedrooms (83 percent) and bathrooms (75 percent) as the clear frontrunner.
• Majorities also cite storage space (59 percent), amount of square footage (59 percent), outdoor space (55 percent) and an updated kitchen (53 percent) as among the most important amenities.

For real estate professionals who are interested in helping veterans and service members find housing solutions that best meet their needs, the Center for Specialized REALTOR® Education recently launched the Military Relocation Professional certification. This one-day certification program offers NAR members knowledge and skills for working in this niche, including how to help clients take full advantage of military benefits and support, how to work within the tight time frame for relocation, and working with deployed military and their families.

The Military Relocation Professional certification is available to practitioners who complete the pre-class reading assignment and one-day course, pass the final exam, and view two one-hour webinars. The application fee is $195, which is discounted to $149 through Dec. 31, 2013. A portion of the application fee will be donated to a homeless veteran’s service organization that serves military veterans and assists with their housing needs.