Who Are Today's Million-Dollar Homeowners? According to the 2006 Coldwell Banker Previews International(R) Survey, They Are Smart Savers and Savvy Shoppers
Monday June 5, 6:00 am ET

PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you ever wonder who is living within the walls of the luxury homes that dot so many communities? According to the 2006 Coldwell Banker Previews International Luxury Survey, today's million-dollar homeowners live in nice homes complete with entertainment rooms, designer kitchens and wine cellars, and have very diversified investment portfolios. They are typically younger Baby Boomers who work for a corporation, and many have a household income of less than $500,000.

The Coldwell Banker Previews International Luxury Survey is a survey of 300 U.S. homeowners whose primary residence is valued at over $1 million ($2 million for California residents*). The survey was conducted via a series of phone interviews by independent market research firm International Communications Research (ICR) based in Media, Pa., in March and April of 2006 and commissioned by Coldwell Banker Previews International, the exclusive Coldwell Banker service dedicated to luxury real estate. In 2005, Coldwell Banker sold $55.9 billion worth of homes valued at $1 million or more.

"Key findings from the 2006 Luxury Survey indicate that the typical million-dollar homeowner likes to live well, but they are not living an ultra- lavish lifestyle," says Jim Gillespie, president and CEO, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. "We did not find huge numbers of these consumers having amenities like heated floors (14 percent), tennis courts (4 percent), or backyard putting greens (5 percent)."

More than one-third (35 percent) surveyed own second homes. Another 35 percent of respondents indicated that they are considering buying an investment property, and/or a secondary residence for family use. "What that tells us is that they understand that real estate remains a solid, long-term investment, and one that they can enjoy," Gillespie continues.

The Primary Residence - A Comfortable Nest

Eating well and high tech entertainment are important to the million- dollar homeowner. Sixty-five (65) percent of respondents already have a designer kitchen, and 37 percent already have, or are considering adding, a wine cellar to their homes. The results suggest that the comforts of home are very important. Fifty-nine (59) percent noted they have a room in their homes devoted exclusively to entertainment. And in those rooms, 89 percent said that they can accommodate more than six people, with 84 percent indicating that they have either a big screen HDTV (50+ inches) or media systems such as DVD players and surround sound system. Fifty-seven (57) percent have a wet bar and 24 percent have movie-theater style seating in their entertainment rooms. Also, fifty-four (54) percent of respondents already own, or plan to buy, original artwork.

 The following represent popular amenities found in million-dollar homes:

 Luxury Item Response

 Security system 86 %

 Professional landscaping 67 %

 Designer kitchen 65 %

 In-ground swimming pool 37 %

 Hot tub 35 %

 The Second Property - An Escape

For those who own second homes, and even those considering purchasing second homes, the preferred locales suggest these homebuyers are interested in rest and relaxation. Of the 35 percent of respondents who own a second home, 55 percent of them are in recreation areas, including the beach / oceanfront (32 percent), lake front (11 percent) or in ski resorts / mountain areas (11 percent). The same is true for those who would consider buying a second home. Forty-two (42) percent would select beach / oceanfront locations, with 14 percent opting for ski areas / mountains, and 12 percent on the lake.

"Interestingly, these consumers are not necessarily looking to retire to these second properties just yet, as 32 percent of those polled do not plan to retire until they are 65 or older, and 14 percent saying they plan to retire between the ages of 60 and 64," Gillespie continues. When that time comes, respondents look forward to traveling domestically (42 percent) and internationally (46 percent).

Enjoying Leisure Time

While the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates recently, 70 percent indicated that the hikes will have no impact on their planned luxury purchases. A telling example comes when looking at the high-end activities the respondents enjoyed in the past 12 months. Sixty-two (62) percent visited a high-end resort/spa; 43 percent went on an active vacation such as a ski trip, bike or hiking trip; 28 percent traveled for more than three weeks internationally, with another 25 percent spending the same amount of time traveling domestically. Eighteen (18) percent of those surveyed have flown on a private plane over the last year and 9 percent went on an extreme vacation or adventure vacation, such as an African safari.

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

"In reality, the million-dollar homeowner lifestyle is not what you see in the movies," adds Gillespie. Only 5 percent of those surveyed employ a personal assistant, 4 percent have a live-in housekeeper and 1 percent have a driver.

"To me, one of the most interesting findings of our survey is how these million-dollar homeowners approach investing. When it comes to planning for retirement, 84 percent described themselves as moderate- to low-risk investors," Gillespie notes. When asked where the majority of their retirement holdings are, the responses were:

 Item Response

 Individual stocks 29 %

 Mutual funds 23 %

 Real estate 19 %

 Mixed portfolio (including real estate) 14 %

 Bonds 11 %

 Mixed portfolio (excluding real estate) 11 %

 401k 7 %

 CDs 2 %

 Annuities 2 %

 IRA 2 %

 Pension funds 1 %

The responses align with what the 33 percent of respondents who expect a tax refund plan to do with their money. Of those, this year, 39 percent plan to invest their tax refunds in their homes. Twenty-nine (29) percent plan to save it, and 12 percent plan to invest it in stocks, bonds or mutual funds.

Gillespie also pointed out that, according to the study, 43 percent of luxury homeowners made more than $500,000. "We also found that 41 percent cited their household income as between $200,000 - $500,000. Because of smart investments, equity in their homes, and, in some cases, inheritances, luxury properties have become attainable for many Americans."

As to where they shop, along with such expected names as Nordstrom (34 percent), Neiman Marcus (17 percent) and Saks Fifth Avenue (10 percent), such mall staples as Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Talbots and Pottery Barn also made the list.

 * The survey questioned owners of homes valued at $2 million and up in the

 state of California. This was done because, according to the California

 Association of Realtors, the median home price in the state is $562,380,

 compared with the national median home price of $223,000 (as of April

 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Joint

 Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, "Million-Dollar" Homes

 and Wealth in the United States study in January 2004 reported from the

 2000 Census that 2.3 percent of single-family owner occupied housing

 stock worth $1 million or more, representing over 40 percent of all the

 units in the state, falls into this "million-dollar" housing category.

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About Coldwell Banker Previews International

The Coldwell Banker Previews International program has been marketing luxury homes since 1933. This luxury home marketing program has been exclusive to Coldwell Banker affiliates since 1980. The exclusive group of certified Previews Sales Associates make up only seven percent of the more than 126,400 Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide. Coldwell Banker became one of the first national residential real estate brands to launch a second Web site totally dedicated to the luxury real estate market. The Web site www.coldwellbankerpreviews.com features more than 10,000 luxury properties with an average listing price of over $1.7 Million.

About Coldwell Banker

Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker organization has been a premier provider of full-service real estate. In 2005, Franchise Times magazine's prestigious Top 200 issue ranked the Coldwell Banker system number one in real estate and number nine among all franchisors. The Coldwell Banker System has more than 4,000 residential and commercial real estate offices and 126,600 Sales Associates in 29 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker System is a leader in the industry in residential real estate, and in niche markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International division. It is a pioneer in consumer services with its Coldwell Banker Concierge Service Program and award-winning Web site, www.coldwellbanker.com. Coldwell Banker Mortgage is one of the largest telephone/web based lenders in the country and the Coldwell Banker Commercial network is an industry leader in providing commercial real estate solutions that serve the needs of tenants, landlords, sellers and buyers in the leasing, acquisition, disposition and management of all property types. Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD - News). Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. Each office is independently owned and operated except for offices owned and operated by NRT Incorporated.