Millennials are buying homes with their pets in mind

89% of millennials who bought a home this year own a pet

Millennials put their pets' needs on top of their list of priorities when buying a home. (credit: mariposavet for Flickr and Wikimedia Commons)
Millennials put their pets' needs on top of their list of priorities when buying a home. (credit: mariposavet for Flickr and Wikimedia Commons)

Millennials love their pets so much that accommodating their four-legged friends’ needs is a top priority when buying a home.

According to the American Pet Products Association, 73 percent of millennials own a pet, CNBC reported. But when it comes to millennials who bought a home this year, 89 percent owns a pet.

Rental buildings have long catered to pet owners with dog runs and pet salons, and millennials are looking for the same kinds of features when buying a home.

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“I don’t have kids, and I’ve intentionally decided that while I want to have kids one day, I’m not at that point in my life, and I think a lot of millennials here in D.C. are kind of in that same boat, but you still enjoy having something to take care of,” said Jessica Evans, a 31-year-old real estate broker in Washington, D.C.

Evans, who lives with her dog and cat, sold her condo and bought a single-family row house to help keep her pets happy.

She said most of millennial her real estate clients put outdoor space – either a yard or a park close by – as their top priority when buying a home.

A full 79 percent of pet-owning millennial homebuyers who closed on a property this year said they would pass on a home that otherwise meets all of their needs if it didn’t work for their pets, according a survey by Realtor.com. [CNBC] – Rich Bockmann

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