Field Guide to Commuting & The Home Buying Decision
(Updated August 2009)
Think your rush hour is agonizing? Consider that the average travel speed in Bangkok, Thailand is 7 mph! Commute times affect most Americans and cannot be underestimated. For some travel time, especially to and from work, is a significant factor in the home-buying decision. In urban areas access to public transportation is crucial when considering where to live. This Field Guide offers statistics, articles and even alternatives to mind-numbing rush hours. (D. Foligno, Project Specialist)
Commuting Issues
100 Most congested cities, (Forbes.com, Feb. 25, 2009).
Combination of housing and commuting costs pinch homeowners, (Builder Online, Feb. 10, 2009).
Best and worst cities for commuters, (Forbes.com, Apr. 25, 2008).
The big commute, in reverse, (New York Times, Feb. 24, 2008).
Long Commutes Discourage Volunteerism, (Planetizen.com, July 14, 2007).
Driven to extremes, (Washington Post, June 3, 2007).
There and back again, (New Yorker, Apr. 16, 2007).
Public transportation saves $6,200 per household, (Public Transportation.org, Jan. 9, 2007).
Asleep at the wheel? Morning rush hour now starts at 5a.m., (Wall Street Journal, Oct. 17, 2006). Q
Which reduces vehicle travel more: jobs-housing balance or retail-housing mixing?, (Journal of the American Planning Association, Autumn 2006). Q
Mass transit is gaining riders, and cachet, as gas prices rise, (Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2006). Q
Subdivided: expatriots from the suburbs, (Google.com, Apr. 14, 2006). - Documentary suggesting longer commutes lead to social isolation.
One-plane garage with a view, (San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 5, 2006).
Extreme Commuting, (Business Week, Feb. 21, 2005).
Commuting & Where to Live
Home buyers demand short commutes, efficient homes, (The Oil Drum, Dec. 6, 2008).
Transit-oriented developments, (On Common Ground, National Association of REALTORS ® Government Affairs, Winter 2008).
Commute cost vs. housing cost, (Cyber Homes, July 16, 2008).
Home prices drop most in areas with long commute, (National Public Radio, Apr. 21, 2008).
How your commuting costs (should) affect your home buying decisions, (American Chronicle, Jan. 19, 2008).
Yours for $225,000: a place to park, (CNN Money, July 12, 2007).
Demand for housing near mass transit on the rise, (Nation's Building News, Dec. 11, 2006).
Now is the time for TODs, (On Common Ground, National Association of REALTORS ® Government Affairs, Summer 2006). - Homebuyers are waiting in line for transit-oriented development.
Commute time influences homebuyers, (Tierra Grande, July 2006).
Despite planners' best efforts, many people choose the commute, (Seattle Times, July 28, 2006).
Impact on Communities
Commuting to opportunity: the working poor and commuting in the United States, (Brookings Institution, Mar. 14, 2008).
Build it near transit, diversity will come, (Realty Times, Nov. 16, 2006).
Preserving and promoting diverse transit-oriented neighborhoods, (Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Oct. 2006).
Cheap house, costly commute - gas prices hurt affordable areas, (Puget Sound Business Journal, June 2, 2006).
Green Commuting
6 Myths About Commuting By Bicycle, (U.S. News, May 15, 2008).
Save the environment, one commute at a time, (MSNBC.com, Apr. 26, 2008).
Eco-paradox: Green homes, gas-guzzling commutes, (WSJ.com, Feb. 18, 2008).
Transportation becomes architecture in MIT's city car, (MIT Center for Real Estate, Oct. 9, 2007).
Going green, (HR Magazine, Oct. 2006). Q
Cities encourage commuters to take to the water; new water-taxi, ferry routes aim to ease traffic, pollution; the pier-to-office challenge, (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 2006). Q
Tips to save gas and improve mileage, (Houston Association of REALTORS®).
Green your commute, (Monster.com).
In the urban jungle, bike commuters must remain fearless, (Advertising Age, Oct. 2006).
Statistics
2009 Annual Urban Mobility Report, (Texas A&M University).
Commuting in America III, (Transportation Research Board, Nov/Dec. 2006). - Third Nat. Report on Commuting Patterns & Trends.
A heavy load: the combined housing & transportation burdens of working families, (Center for Housing Policy, Oct. 2006). - Affordable housing savings may be lost to transportation costs.
Best workplaces for commuters, (Department of Transportation, Aug. 2008).
Hidden in plain sight - capturing the demand for housing near transit, (Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Sept. 2004). - Transit-forecasting profile
Commuting distance sensitivity by race and socio-economic status, (University of California & State University of New York, May 2002). - Analyzes how race affects decision of where to move in relation to work
The true cost of driving, (Commute Solutions.org). - Commuting calculator
Commuting expense calculator, (Automated Home Finder).
Walk Score, (WalkScore.com). - Find out how "walkable" your home is
eRideShare.com - Free carpool matching service
iGo, (iGo Cars.org). - Car-Sharing Service
U.S. Local & State Transit Links, (American Public Transportation Association).
Commuter choice primer, (U.S. Department of Transportation). - Government and business program offering commuting options to employees
Commuter Choice Brochure, (U.S. Department of Transportation). - Addresses commuting's impact on communities and businesses
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
The 30-second commute (Adobe eReader)
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