Smoky Air Has New Yorkers Looking To Sell Their Homes

Poor air quality resulting from smoke from Canada’s wildfires drifting into the United States has many New Yorkers and Denverites wondering whether they should move.

Searches for “sell my home fast” skyrocketed by 2,504% in the United States on June 7 as New York is blanketed by hazardous smog from the wildfires, rendering the air quality among the world’s worst.

New York’s air quality was the worst of any major city worldwide, overtaking New Delhi, India, according to a report from IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company that operates a real-time air quality information platform.

In New York, searches for “sell my home fast” soared by over 26 times the average volume in the past week — an unprecedented increase in New Yorkers looking to sell their properties, according to Google search data analysis conducted by FindStorageFast.

The data also revealed that searches for “sell my house” soared by 326% on the same day — a quadruple increase in a week.

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Searches for “sell my house” in Denver increased by 759% on May 18, the day the air quality health advisory was issued, compared to the average over the previous 90 days.

But where should people looking for better air quality consider moving? None of the top 5 cities with the best air quality are in the U.S., according to IQAir.

If those looking to relocate wish to stay in the United States, the city with the cleanest air is Las Vegas, although it’s been subjected to sand and dust storms in the past. Or they could choose San Juan in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

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The desire to move to a locale with better air quality comes as the U.S. housing market has slowed because of increased property prices and mortgage rates.

“With rising inflation rates, property values have surged, but homeowners and sellers still aren’t in a prime position to benefit,” FindStorageFast Founder and CEO D’Arcy Hunter said. “High rental and purchase prices and banks not willing to lend means that first-time buyers can’t afford to cover down payments. Sellers also cannot afford to repurchase in central urban areas.”

“With the report showing that New York’s air quality is currently among the world’s worst, it is clear to see why New Yorkers are tempted to sell at this time. As the housing market becomes a bigger challenge in America, it will be interesting to see whether this spike translates into more listings and sales and what this may mean for the city’s housing market long-term.”

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