Have you ever driven past a for sale sign and spent too much time trying to circle around the prospective property to locate what grocery stores, dry cleaners, coffee shops and restaurants might be within walking distance or at least very close proximity?  Worse yet, you fall in love on the internet with photos of the home’s exterior, counter tops and huge windows only to arrive and realize you are buried in an area with no access to the places you like to frequent?

Of course bedrooms, bathrooms and square feet will remain core to property search but the value driving factor that is gaining ground like no other is “walkability”.  Walking proximity to a nice mix of local businesses is just what buyers are looking for these days to reduce time wasted and stress on the road ways not to mention achieve improved quality of life, a lower carbon footprint and increased relative property values.

On the national level, a new report, “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities” by Joseph Cortright, John looked at just under 100,000 transactions within major markets and found that in 13 of the 15 markets, higher levels of walkability, as measured by Walk Score, were directly linked to higher home values.

“Walking the Walk’ shows definitively what we have always believed – that homes in walkable neighborhoods continue to be a good investment, and are one of the simplest and most effective solutions to fight climate change, improve our health, and strengthen our communities,” said Walk Score founder Mike Mathieu. “Our vision is for every property listing to include a Walk Score: Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Walk Score: 84.”

Walk Score (www.walkscore.com) is the leader in this space.  The site works by calculating the closest amenities – restaurants, coffee shops, schools, parks, stores, libraries, etc. – to any U.S. address.  The algorithm then assigns a “Walk Score” from 0-100, with 100 being the most walkable and 0 being totally car-dependent.  Walk Scores of 70+ indicate neighborhoods where it’s possible to get by without a car.  I’ve placed a Walk Score tile on every page on our site other than the home page.  Try it out but I warn you. . it’s addicting and you’ll never look at a house purchase the same again!