Single Women Buy More Houses

Call it a sign of the times. Women today are not waiting for Mr. Right to start the American dream. Last year, single women snapped up one of every five homes sold. That's nearly 1.5 million, if you're counting — more than twice as many as single men bought, according to the National Association of Realtors.

This rise of single-women homeowners is part of a greater social and economic shift that is reshaping American life. The trend is striking, because in 1981, the number of single women and single men home buyers was virtually the same. Since then, the percentage of buyers who are single women has almost doubled, while the percentage of single men buyers slipped 1 percentage point to 9% last year.

This trend is forcing changes in real estate. For the complete story: www.usatoday.com/money/2006-02-14-women-houses-usat_x.htm