29 May 2005

More people will live in rural settings, with technology enabling them to do almost anything they like, be it work or play, without leaving their homes

By 2020, a real estate crash will be in effect, due to advances in technology which will make rural areas much more desireable to live in, according to an "expert on human use of technology".
Despite these lifestyle trends, it will still be necessary to travel to central cities occasionally, and some people will continue to prefer urban life. But overall, the balance between remote regions and the center will change in favor of a more distributed lifestyle, resulting in a real estate crash.


Comments

I hate to tell ya this but Jakob Neilsen is a web usability expert, NOT a real estate expert. What he may know of social psychology as it applies to technology does NOT apply to the social psychology of real estate.

I work for a real estate firm; we buy demographic/statistical information and analysis all of the time. What does all of it say? Everyone is moving to cities - baby boomers especially - so that they can ditch their cars and live near theaters, restaurants, colleges/universities, museums, etc.

Regardless of the statistical analysis of how many people would LIKE to live near the beach or in the country, the fact remains that more people END UP living in cities. "Desire" and "occurance" are completely different things.