What are buyers looking for? From mundane to gadgets.

November 20, 2008

Just today I came across an ad for a garage lift (Garage Lift) showing how you can park two cars in a single car garage with the help of a nifty lift that tucks one car away in the basement. Supposedly saves you money from building an additional garage…Knowing my luck, I’d crush the car on top trying to get mine out from the basement! I can see where it might be a valuable addition to homes with a tight footprint in high cost areas, but for most of us with the luxury of ample lot space, a double car garage is the much more easy alternative!

Kitchens and baths are still extremely important. Kitchens that can double as a living space are incredibly popular. It’s difficult to cram party goers into an 8x8 foot space while you finish up cooking the appetizers. Updated appliances make cooking easy and fast. I built a new home a few years ago and I wouldn’t trade my Advantium microwave/halogen oven for anything – same goes for my induction cook top. Having set fire to my previous kitchen I appreciate the fact that nothing will burn on the cook top! However, guests who bring over a ceramic saucepan with their potluck are a little bemused as to why my stove doesn’t work for them but it works for me – “Magic!” I say.

Buyers are looking for bright, inviting kitchens, with plenty of space for all the gadgets they’ve accumulated over the years. Many cooks drool over walk in pantries and space for a matching fridge and freezer. Solid surface counters are still one of the most desirable features, but now there are other options such as composite granite, cork, stainless steel to choose from. Islands are starting to look like furniture and freezer, refrigerator and warming drawers still remain popular, and are even migrating out of the kitchen into other areas of the house. I wish I’d gone with a warming drawer instead of a heated towel rack in my bathroom – the rack only warms the section of the towel it touches. Hardly worth turning on in the morning. And talking of bathrooms - over 50% of Japenese now have some kind of water washing toilets. Charmin beware. You can find these nifty toilet seats on Amazon for less than $500 - it's worth watching the promotional videos! (Toto Washlet)

Many buyers appreciate good lighting – from well designed artificial light to energy efficient windows that let in sun and open the home to views. Other improvements are integrated sound, ipod docks and of course, home theaters. With motorized screens, projector lifts and darkening shades, it is possible to combine a living space with a home theater with a flip of a button. During the day, a formal living room – by night a ground shaking cinema showing the latest Indiana Jones movie!

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Local Information for Bettendorf, IA

Latitude: 41.550044 -- Longitude: -90.493679

Other Area Cities: Davenport Bettendorf East Moline Moline Rock Island

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Bettendorf lies in the original Wisconsin Territory, which was purchased from the Sac and Fox Indians in the Black Hawk Purchase of 1832. The first white settlers established a village named Lillienthal, commemorating an early tavern and dance hall. The village of Gilbert developed alongside Lillienthal in 1858, honoring Elias Gilbert, who plotted the original site. At that time, the residents were predominately German and were employed as farmers, skilled laborers, and small business owners. The two villages eventually combined to become the town of Gilbert. Around 1900, William and Joseph Bettendorf were gifted 70 acres of riverfront land on condition that they move their iron wagon business from Davenport to Gilbert. In 1903, the town of 440 citizens petitioned for incorporation, requesting to change the town's name to honor the brothers whose factory was a major influence in the early development of the city. -- Source: Wikipedia.com

Iowa 2000 Census Population Profile Map

	Bettendorf	Iowa	United States
Population	31,275	2,926,324	281,421,906
Median age	38.7	36.6	35.3
Median age for Male	37.6	35.2	34
Median age for Female	39.7	38	36.5
Households	12,474	1,149,276	105,480,101
Household population	30,981	2,822,155	273,643,273
Average household size	2.48	2.46	2.59
Families	8,714	769,684	71,787,347
Average family size	3.01	3	3.14
Housing units	13,044	1,232,511	115,904,641
Occupied units	12,474	1,149,276	105,480,101
Vacant units	570	83,235	10,424,540

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