By Laura Cahill

After attending the Women’s Council of Realtors Summit Conference in Chicago I was armed with some really interesting data. The three day conference focused on the trends of the female buyer or should I say …the single female buyer. Today’s single female buyer is not just the young woman in her 20’s and 30’s it also includes middle aged and senior women looking to buy or sell real estate on their own.

In the late 60’s I remember my mother who was a full time employee of Boston City Hospital. She was a single parent raising four kids wanting to purchase a two family house. She found a place in a very modest low income neighborhood in Dorchester, Ma. My mother was denied a loan because she was a single woman without a male co-signer. It did not matter she worked two full time male equivalent jobs, this common banking practice was not unusual. Without a male cosigner for a loan women were going nowhere fast. Well, what a difference 40 years can make.

Many of today’s independent women, whether they are single, divorced, have domestic partners or widowed are looking to buy solo, creating a major shift in home buying trends. From the Disco era to today’s Gaga movement, bachelorettes are not waiting to get married before they invest, divorcees with children are downsizing to start over, and widows are making dramatic lifestyle changes which don’t necessarily mean moving in with the kids.

The single young professional buyer is looking for low maintenance, renovated condos or pristine single family homes close to the city limits. More often than not these young buyers are choosing to be closer to their social network of family and friends.
Fresh from the court house divorcees are growing new roots with a major focus on schools for their children while also searching for a strong sense of community. These women have a laser focus on affordability, often downsizing in return for their quality of life.
Senior women aged 50 and older control a net worth of 19 trillion dollars and own more than three fourths of the nation’s financial wealth. These 50 plus American women are the healthiest, wealthiest and most active generation in history. Often times they are moving into 55+ communities that offer an active independent living lifestyle with social amenities.

After the conference, I went back to my office and took a closer look at my own numbers from 2009. While I knew I was working with several female buyers in transition, I had not realized one third of my business came from single women both buyers and sellers in every age group.

For the past twenty five years that I have been selling real estate I’ve always known the new buyer who sat in the front seat of my car was driving the nuptial bus. Well don’t step off the curb too soon because the moving truck is in high gear on estrogen auto pilot. Women are in charge of their lives and loving it. They are embracing their independence and blazing new trails to find themselves as independent home owners.

Laura Cahill has been selling real estate in Milton, MA for over 25 years. She has been ranked in the top 25 producing agents receiving Platinum Club honors every year since joining REMAX of New England. Below is Laura’s contact information:’

Cahill Properties, RE/MAX Landmark
450 Granite Ave
Milton, Ma 02186
617.947.6219 (direct)
www.lauracahill.com