Season 3, Episode 9: From the ValuVault: Why Location Drives Value
Why geography beats granite

• Proximity premium – Homes nestled near high-paying jobs, mass-transit lines, or A-rated schools routinely sell 10 – 20 % higher than look-alike houses just a few streets away.
• 2025 supply crunch – With national inventory stuck at 3.5 months, scarce “Grade-A” neighborhoods attract bidding wars and push values up fastest.
• Feature fade – Bedroom count, countertops, and square footage help—but appraisers assign heavier weight to neighborhood desirability metrics (commute, crime, amenities) when deciding final value.
• Real-world spread – In metro Austin, a 1,500-sf starter home in a top-ranked suburb can appraise near $600 K, while the same floorplan five miles away—longer drive, weaker schools—fetches $500 K or less.

Quick playbook

Mortgage pros

• Keep urban comps inside a ¼-mile radius; stretch to one mile only in low-density areas.
• Document location adjustments clearly—school tier, transit score, walkability—to pre-empt underwriter questions.

Buyers & agents

• Before bidding, pull neighborhood data on GreatSchools®, Redfin Insights, and local crime maps.
• Compare price-per-square-foot across adjacent ZIP codes to avoid overpaying in a “soft pocket.”

🔗 Episode audio: ValuVault – Why Location Drives Value

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