With the Covid-19 vaccine rollout well underway, many of us are looking at a return to the office. But after more than a year of working remotely, some Americans have moved farther away from their workplaces, and they are now less willing to commute into the office.

A survey* of homeowners who purchased within the past twelve months found that about 60% are working from home and 62% prefer to be. Despite remote work being the clear preference for many, only 48% have been told by their employer they can continue to work remotely, one quarter has no definitive answer on whether or not they can remain fully remote indefinitely, and another quarter already has plans to return to the office later this year. That’s created a dilemma for new homeowners who are happy at home and are uncertain if and when their employer will want them back in the office.

Job versus home

When asked what they will do if their employer decides they must return to the job site:

• 48% of survey respondents said they’d try to arrange a flexible schedule that allows for some in-office work and some remote work

• Nearly a quarter said they will find a new job

• 30% said if asked, they would willingly return to the office

• 8% said they would sell their pandemic purchase in favor of a new home closer to work

Going the distance

As offices begin to reopen, those who are currently looking for a new home may have to start factoring commute time into their search. Despite the fact that 31% say they are less willing to commute farther for work if asked to return to the workplace:

• Close to 40% would have to travel 30 minutes or more each way to their office

• 18% would have to commute more than 60 minutes each way, making the prospect of returning to a daily commute very unappealing.

If you are in the market to buy, one way to help make sure you are only looking at homes within your desired commute time is to use the My Tampa Agent app. You can customize your search area to pick neighborhoods close to your workplace or decide if a longer commute is in your future if you find your dream home a little farther away.

*Survey conducted by Realtor.com

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