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Nearby parks, outdoor space increase property desirability By Marilyn Kennedy Melia CTW FEATURES Location has long played a key role in influ- encing home values. But ideas about what makes for a desirable location morphs over time, often influenced by events and lifestyle changes. The pandemic pushed the importance of nearby parks and open spaces — already rising as a desirable feature — to a key amenity for both homebuyers and renters, says Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki of tsk ink, a consulting firm which conducts the America at Home Study to inform builders on consumer preferences. The study was con- ducted twice in 2020, in April and November, with the percentage of consumers rating parks and community outdoor spaces rising signifi- cantly in November fol- lowing a stay-at-home mandate because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend has staying power, however, Slavik- Tsuyuki contends. Just like a home in a highly rated school district, a home located near a park with play- grounds, walking trails, an open field or a dog park, can carry buyer ap- peal — translating into a higher value. "Typically, a home in- side a well-designed mas- ter-planned community (with trails and parks) will be valued at 15 to 20 percent more than the exact same home built outside a planned com- munity with no access to parks and open spaces," Slavik-Tsuyuki says. Besides parks, nearby bike paths are a feature that will especially ap- peal to younger buyers, with the America at Home Study revealing that 49 percent of mil- lennials and 50 percent of Gen X respondents saying that bike paths would influence their purchase decision. An earlier study pub- lished in the July 2019 issue of The Urban Stud- ies Journal of 10 U.S. cities also found that the presence of a new park in neighborhoods close to downtown increased the odds that the neigh- borhood would gentrify by 91 percent. The positive impact parks and open spaces have on buyers "doesn't surprise me at all," says Ron Laserna, regional real estate manager for Reali in San Mateo. When space permits, Laserna says he adds a description of nearby parks and similar spaces, as well as pho- tos, in a home's market- ing materials. Ask about our Move-in Ready Homes* New Homes starting in the starting mid $300,000's - $700,000's. Leave the BIG City that's overpopulated and Move to the affordable and peaceful serenity of the Country lifestyle of Los Banos or Merced. There is plenty to see and do with hiking and biking trails around town, plus enjoyable lakes minutes away, and Yosemite National Park a little over an hour away. Come experience and enjoy many localevents, includingourCountyFair,the4-HProjects,farmersmarkets,andfarmsgrowingalmonds,cotton, and more. And get away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area traffic, noise, and crime. Visit Us at: www.StonefieldHome.com Do it NOW! Choose from any of our 4 Neighborhoods in Merced & Los Banos. Luxury Homes on Large Lots and Many Single & Two-Story Floor Plans! LosBanos-TheViLLa's209.710.9393|soUThPoinTe"CoMinGsoon" MerCed-BeLLeVUeranCh209.626.5558|CyPressTerraCe209.626.5455 *callfordetails. All you need is the moving truck Homes | Advertising Supplement 001 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP H7