Century 21 Real Estate LLC, the franchisor of one of the world’s largest residential real estate sales organizations, announced the results of its Veterans Day survey earlier this week, conducted online by Harris Interactive. In honor of its long-time partnership with, and dedication to, Easter Seals, CENTURY 21® conducted the survey to identify veterans’ perceptions of home ownership and the roadblocks they face when searching for a home.
According to 75% of military families, owning a home is one of the most important things to service members upon returning from service. Among the reasons that becoming a homeowner is so significant to veterans are a desire to have their own residence (73 percent), establishing a household (43 percent) and financial security (36 percent). In addition, the majority of veterans (88 percent) indicated that owning a home makes them feel safer.
“Home ownership is a top priority for many, but is especially significant to those returning from a tour of duty,” said Rick Davidson, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “Veterans have done so much to serve our country. We are proud to work with Easter Seals to help empower veterans to lead more independent lives and fulfill the dream of homeownership.”
While becoming a home owner is clearly important to veterans for a variety of reasons, only 33% of military families report actually looking for a home within a year of their own or their spouses’ return from active duty. Partially to blame are the roadblocks that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of veterans, spouses and soldiers have experienced, including the price of homes (36 percent), an inability to come up with a down payment (31 percent) and personal savings (28 percent).
“As military service members return from duty and transition to civilian life, one significant hurdle is securing a place to call home,” said James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals. “Part of our mission is to make this easier for the men and women who have bravely served our country and CENTURY 21 has been a strong partner in this endeavor for more than 35 years. CENTURY 21 brokers and agents are true Easter Seals Champions. Their commitment allows us to better serve the people who serve for us overseas.”
