MarketWatch's 10 must-haves for new single-family homes

Posted 2/5/2010 by Joseph Askins

"This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn't something we're 100% sure about now either. What's left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity."

- Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, speaking last month at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.

A Builders Show report from MarketWatch outlines 10 "must-have" features for a home in today's market. They are:

• A large kitchens with an island
• Energy-efficient appliances, insulation, and windows
• A home office or study
• A main-floor master suite
• An outdoor living room
• Ceiling fans
• Master suite soaker tubs
• Stone and brick exteriors
• Community landscaping, paths, and playgrounds
• Two-car garages

The story also notes that features like granite countertops are a must among move-up buyers but "on the bubble" for first-timers, and that home theater rooms and upstairs laundries are on the way out.

Does this ring true among any of the single-family home / townhome buyers or sellers out there?