Say what? Homebuyers' unusual property search terms

December 26, 2024 7:00 AM

In September, Zillow came out with an enhanced natural language search feature for potential homebuyers.

As a result, it was able to gain additional insight beyond the broad characterizations and come up with 2024's most unique home search trends.

Here are some of the more unusual aspects that consumers are looking for in a home that everyone in the mortgage manufacturing ecosystem could see when they look at loan applications in the coming months, based on what Zillow found.

The main 10

1. Ranch (ranch style)
2. Lake
3. Duplex (duplexes)
4. Cabin (cabins)
5. Farms
6. Acreage
7. Garage
8. Loft
9. Luxury
10. Furnished

Taking a deeper dive

While pool topped the list as a desired feature in three very obvious locations, California, Florida and Texas, it was a top 3 wish in 38 states, or nearly three-quarters of the country.

Meanwhile, garage made the list in 46 states; that, along with ranch, were the most searched terms in cold-weather areas like Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming.

Meanwhile, four other states had the same trio of terms in the same order. Pool, garage and lake were the most searched terms from buyers in Alabama, Connecticut, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Down on the farm

Meanwhile, someone looking for a rural lifestyle went beyond the generic farm search and was looking for "barndominiums," Zillow said.

But Maine was the only state where farms were in the top three terms being looked for.

In general, people who are outdoor and nature enthusiasts concentrated their searches in states like Michigan, Hawaii, Idaho, North Carolina and Alaska. Home buyers looked for properties that met buyers' desires to be near a lake or a beachfront or one that was a cabin.

Finding those scenic properties

Buyers who wanted a scenic retreat or a waterfront property were concentrating their searches in the following areas:
· Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
· Lake Tahoe, Nevada
· Long Island, New York
· Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
· Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
· Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
· Flathead Lake, Montana
· Lake Oconee, Georgia
· Amelia Island, Florida.

Fun, fun, fun

Some consumers were looking for more than just a plain old home in their Zillow search.

For example, one searcher from Colorado looked for a "roller coaster. Another from Michigan wanted "laser tag."

Meanwhile, someone looking at a rural property wanted a "party barn."

For some who might enjoy the macabre (or at least Halloween), at least one person in 22 states searched for a haunted house. A spooky property was the desire of someone who was searching in Illinois, Ohio and Oregon.