9 things homebuyers desire in 2011

By Dana Dratch of Bankrate.com

Searching for value

Today's homebuyers want it all.

Items on their shopping list include a home in great condition with rooms that can do double duty. Areas that mingle indoor and outdoor living - patios, porches, decks and outdoor rooms - are always a plus. So are features that offer a little luxury, such as garden tubs, first-rate appliances and high-dollar countertops.

They're also going back to basics and searching for solid, well-maintained properties that will give them their money's worth.

"I think this year, they're buying properties that are in good mechanical condition that have inherent value," says Ron Phipps, president of the National Association of Realtors.

But more than anything, buyers want to drive a hard bargain.

They want "great deals," says Patricia Szot, president of the MetroTex Association of Realtors in Grapevine, Texas. "And no matter where a seller prices their property, they're looking to negotiate."

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