Baby Boomers

A Baby Boomer is someone who was born between 1946 to 1964.  To date, there are roughly 76 million boomers which is equivalent to 1 in 4 Americans. Boomers have very strong buying power and could really sway the housing market, because of their large buying power.  Kathleen Howley wrote an article for the Bloomberg (click here for the full story) discussing the record sales the housing industry is seeing.  Although this article features stick built homes in Oregon & Utah, this could directly affect our industry.   A majority of these boomers bought homes during the 80’s and 90’s, and with the price of real estate constantly growing, this has left them with a great return on their investment.  Boomers would rather pay cash for a home then be bogged down by a mortgage.

The Manufactured & Modular industry would be ideal for Baby boomers who are looking for custom homes at an affordable price.  We offer a way for them to uniquely design the floor plan and features that they want in their home.  I refer back to the presentation that Chris Nicely discussed with us at our last meeting.  Our industry can offer wide hallways, 360 degree bathrooms, smooth transition flooring, no step showers, grab bars, 36″ doors and no low or high appliances.  Even if boomers are up to date with all the technology today, they still want to touch and feel the product they are going to buy. It’s important to show these features in some of your display homes.  Don’t forget to display brand names!  Boomers still want luxurious products and rely on known brands; this also includes “Made in America.”  Here are four points to consider attracting baby boomers – capitalizing on nostalgia, avoiding stereotypes, emphasizing the product’s benefits, and considering product features that will make Manufactured & Modular homes the smart choice!

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