Where you live affects who you date—and who will absolutely refuse to date you.
Article By: Neil O’Donnell
In honour of Valentine’s Day, the US real estate website Trulia commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a survey looking at the intersection of attitudes about housing and romance. Are homeowners regarded as “marriage material” more so than noncommittal renters? They wanted to know if people are more interested in potential mates if they live alone? Also, how bad is your love life impacted if you live with your parents? When it comes to dating and housing, what’s hot and what’s not?
Owners vs. Renters
While owning a home has always been a part of the path of becoming a successful adult, it’s apparently not a deal breaker (or maker) when it comes to dating. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of unmarried adults said that homeowners had no significant “home advantage” in terms of attracting dates. According to the survey only 28% said they’d prefer someone who owned a home. So you can’t really use the fact that you’re a renter as an excuse for why you can’t find a date. Well, perhaps guys can use that more as an excuse than the ladies: While just 19% of men say that they have a preference for dating homeowners, 36% of women prefer dates who own property.
Homeownership = Marriage Material?
Buying a home demonstrates some level of commitment. But for the most part, owning a home is not viewed as a sign that you’re ready, or even interested, in marriage. In the survey, 43% of unmarried adults said that homeownership is not an indication of a person’s desire to get married or be in a serious, long-term committed relationship. However, young people are more likely to view homeowners as capable of committing to a partner. A higher percentage of millennials equate homeownership to stability and commitment. Baby Boomers, by contrast, are generally past the stage of first-time homeownership, so it matters less to them in terms of viewing the commitment potential of a new partner.
Lose the Roommate
The majority of those surveyed (62%) say they’d rather date someone who lives alone. Location matters too: When comparing the preferences of men and women, it was found that more men would rather date someone who lives alone in a big city. On the flip side, more women would go for a date with someone who lives solo in a house in the ‘burbs.
Move Out Already!
Turns out over 2.2 million adults in Canada live at home with their parents because they’re unemployed or underemployed, they’re trying to pay off student loans or save money to buy a place, or for any number of other reasons. While calling mom and dad your “roommates” may be a smart financial move, it’s the kiss of death for a healthy dating life. The survey discovered that only 5% of unmarried adults would be open to dating someone who lived with their parents.
Shacking Up to Save
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of unmarried renters said they’d be willing to consider living with their significant other in order to save money. Somewhat surprisingly, more men than women said they’d be very willing to make the commitment of cohabitation.
We’ve even seen friends/roommates, not in “that” type of a relationship with each other, partner together to buy a home. They understood that owning is better than renting and they viewed it as an investment.
Best Romantic Restaurants for Valentines Day!
OpenTable.com has ranked the top 100 most romantic restaurants in all of Canada (https://www.opentable.com/m/100-most-romantic-restaurants-in-canada-2018/) and our area has 15 of them. You’ve often heard us say “you don’t need to live in Toronto to have some of the best experiences this great land has to offer.” The best part about these restaurants is that you can visit them any time of the year and your experience will be second to none.
If you visit them, let us know what you think, we’d love the feed back!
- AG at The Sterling, Niagara Falls, ON – Farm-to-table
- Ancaster Mill, Ancaster, ON – Continental
- Cannery Restaurant, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Steakhouse
- Stone House Restaurant, Burlington, ON – Steak
- The Drawing Room – The Prince of Wales Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – English
- HOBNOB Restaurant, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Contemporary French
- Inn on the Twenty, Jordan, ON – Contemporary American
- Kitchen76 at Two Sisters Vineyards, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Italian
- Lake House Restaurant, Vineland, ON – Steak
- Peller Estates Winery Restaurant, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Continental
- Restaurant at Peninsula Ridge, Beamsville, ON – Continental
- Tiara Restaurant – Queen’s Landing Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Mediterranean
- Trius Winery Restaurant, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Continental
- Vineland Estates Winery Restaurant, Vineland, ON – Continental
- Windows by Jamie Kennedy Fresh Grill & Winebar, Niagara Falls, ON – Canadian
For a more in-depth discussion on these topics, go to: Request a FREE Copy of our latest book, “The Value-Driven Approach to Sell Real Estate: How to protect yourself from Real Estate Greed and bank extra profit by thinking like the great Warren Buffett.”