Here’s a little something fun to think about … apparently, Americans want more bathrooms at home!

According to Realtor.com, the share of new homes started with three or more full bathrooms is on the rise. That also reflects builders’ focus on the higher-end, larger homes since the end of the Great Recession.

Twenty-seven percent of new single-family homes started in 2015 had three full bathrooms and 10 percent had four or more, Census Bureau data shows. Fifty-nine percent of homes had two full bathrooms and just 4 percent had one – or less.

The South Atlantic region of the U.S. has the largest share of new homes with three or more bathrooms at 42 percent. Other regions with the highest shares of three or more bathrooms in new-home starts included the Mountain region at 39 percent, Pacific region at 38 percent, and West South Central divisions at 38 percent. New England is right in the middle at 30%, while the East North Central division had the lowest share of new homes with three or more bathrooms at 24 percent.

The following chart shows the regional breakdown of the percentage of new homes with three or more full bathrooms.

Source: “Bathrooms in 2015 New Homes,” National Association of Home Builders’ Eye on Housing blog (Oct. 6, 2016)

July through September 2016 showed strong sales figures on track with the sales we saw in 2015. 112 single-family homes sold in Ridgefield in Q3 this year, compared to 103 during the same time in 2015. The median sales price dropped 7% from $688,000 in Q3 2015 to $640,000 this year, but homes are still selling at 96.7% of asking. The average time a house spent on the market was 148 days during this quarter. In the luxury segment of homes priced over $1.5 million, there continues to be a slow but steady demand. Condo sales were strong with 22 selling during Q3 at a median price of $286,000. There are currently 39 condos on the market with an average market time of 154 days. Tracking sales compared to mid-year, the number of homes sold is up, but values remain flat or declining at certain price points. As we move into the final quarter for 2016, October has seen more market movement and we hope to see a strong fall market. Buyers continue to demand updated, pride-of-ownership homes and pricing seems to be the key in creating a successful sale.

More Bathrooms? Yes Please!

Ridgefield Q3 2016 Market Report