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purcha�ing homes , they iend to rely heavily on real estate agents , <br />salesmen, and builders for advi.ce. <br />The re eat bu er has somewhat difierent characteristics and his primary <br />�����Cr�� c:eniers arouna the house itsel . To him, this is more ihan <br />merely purchasing space or he wants certain arrangements of that space <br />along with certai�. facilities and amenities. He also can afford to be <br />more concerned about the gen�ral location and quality of the house, <br />amenities of the immediate environment, and of the general neighborhood. <br />Becau�e he tends to be of a higher educational level and has had previotis <br />exp�rience in hoxne buying, the repeai buyer usually relies more on his <br />own judgment and presumab�.y takes more time in making the selection. <br />He has a much clearer idea of what he is looking for than the first time <br />buye r . 9 <br />Summary <br />A substantial population increase in the Area resulting from natural <br />growth and substantial in-migration from outlying areas created a large <br />unsatisfied housing ma�ket in the post-war period. Increases in the <br />size of the family put internal space pressure on many families who <br />were living in apartments or relatively small houses. This pressure <br />for more s ace is the rimar factor whiGh "tri ers" eo le to seek <br />other housin accommodations. heer size o the market necessitated <br />evelopment beyond the boun aries of the central cities unless the Area <br />was to develop at very high densities. Since land was plentiful, there <br />was little evident reason to have such densities. Tremendous changes <br />in transportation, communications, utilities, and household appliances <br />virtually cut the house free from its traditional urban ties. <br />The incentive for most of this development to occur in the suburbs was <br />furthered by the lending institutions and the federal financing programs. <br />Local s avings and loan as soc iations , whos e ope ration inc reas es home <br />ownership, xnade it readily possible for many people to purchase homes. <br />FHA and VA programs greatly Pxpanded the buyers market by enabling <br />vast segments of the population to become "homeowners". The lender's <br />policies and the federal programs heavily favored new housing construc - <br />tion over the existing housing stock. <br />Powerful sociological and historical factors emlaodied in the consumer's <br />outlook also were dominant influences in the suburban push. The image <br />9This inforrriation about the consumer was obtained through interviews <br />with builders and lenders from the report A National Consumer Survey <br />of the Housin Market: A Stud of Residential Behavior and Attitudes <br />sponsore y the ational Association o Home Bui� ers. <br />l0A National Consumer Survey of the Housing Market: A 5tudy of <br />Res idential Behavior and Attitudes , prepared k�y Fulle r and Smith and <br />Ross, Inc. ,(Washington: N.A. H. B. , 1961), pp 5, 6. Tables 10-18. <br />Also see �'oote, op, cit. , pp. 83-94. <br />22 <br />