Single Family Home: What Are They And How To Find Them

By: ROS Team

Any house where a family lives do not qualify as a single family home. For a house to be a family home, it has to meet certain structural requirements. If a single family home means anything, it means privacy. Single family homes are an attractive option if your major concern is privacy. However, buying one is not easy as it is more expensive than a condo or co-op.

1- What is Single Family Home
2- Pros of Buying
3- Cons of Buying
4- How to Find a Single Family Home
5- Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Single Family Home?

In order for the structure to be considered a family home, it must meet the following criteria:

• The home must not have any common walls or a shared roof with any other property–it must be a stand-alone structure.
• The home must be on a separate piece of land and has no shared property. The surrounding area is for the private use of the owner.
• The building should have a separate entrance and exit, unlike apartments which sometimes have a common lobby or hallway which leads to the street.

• All utilities must be under the private use of the home dwellers and not shared with any other home nearby. Utilities in this context include heating, electricity, water, or any other essential services.
• There is a single kitchen in the building.
• The home is built with the premise of a single-family or person living there with one person claiming ownership.

Pros of Buying a Single Family Home

As the name suggests, a single family home best suits a single family and ensures their privacy. The house doesn’t share walls or a roof with any other building occupied by a different family group or occupant, so privacy remains intact. In a house, you are likely to have extra space for storage than you would in a multi family home.

Another appealing feature of a home is its architecture. Condos and co-ops are usually limited in their architectural design, but there’s great variety in single family homes. If these reasons are compelling enough for you, you should definitely consider buying a single family home.

Cons of Buying a Single Family Home

While there are benefits of buying single family homes, there’s naturally a downside. The chief disadvantage of living in a single-family home is that they don’t have amenities like a gym, pool, spa, or concierge You usually find those amenities in apartment buildings or other multi-family residences.

Another downside is the cost. Regardless of the state, buying a single family home is going to be pricey. This requires a great deal of planning and proper money management, including arranging your finances so you can make a down payment and pay all the associated closing costs. However, if you can afford to buy one, family home is worth the investment.

How to Find a Single Family Home:

Single family homes are indicated in real estate listings with the letter “R.” Here are some practical ways to find a single-family home.

1- Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

The multiple listing service (MLS) is the primary database containing all properties available for sale. Real estate brokers established this platform to make the process of selling and buying property easier. Brokers list the homes in the MLS when they want to sell.

Agents must pay for a subscription in order to access the system. Once they gain access, they can search for any kind of property. The MLS is the most effective tool for finding properties that match the features buyers are looking for.

You are also likely to find the latest listings in the MLS, which gives you the chance to bid on available homes earlier.

2- Real Estate Websites

Besides the MLS, real estate dedicated websites are other platforms where you can find single-family homes. There are dozens of websites that focus on real estate. They all have a user-friendly interface which makes it easier for you to find a property matching your criteria.

You can search sites by “single-family home” or select it as an option from a dropdown list. You can also apply filters to further narrow your search of available single-family homes.

3- Real Estate Agent

Getting the help of an agent is the best option. Real estate agents spend hours working and researching the market and know the latest single-family home listings in your area of interest. Once you hire an experienced agent and tell them what you’re looking for, they will more than likely have multiple possibilities from which you can choose to review further.

4- For Sale By Owner

Not all sellers list their homes in MLS if they decide not to hire an agent. These owners sell the property on their own–you can recognize these homes because they have a ‘for sale” signboard in the front yard.

Talk to the owner directly about the house to get information about the sales price, square footage, and any possible amenities that the house may include.

FAQs

Who Owns the most Single-Family Homes?

The largest owner of single-family homes in the United States is Invitation Homes, which owns and manages approximately 80,000 homes across the country as of 2021.

How many Single-Family Homes are there in the US?

There are approximately 80 million single-family homes in the United States, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

What is America’s Largest Single-Family Home?

America’s largest single-family home is the Biltmore Estate, located in Asheville, North Carolina.

What is Bigger than a Single-Family Home?

Multi-family homes are bigger than single-family homes.

At what Age do most People get their own House?

According to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, the median age of first-time homebuyers in the United States is 33 years old.