GO SKAGIT: Service Makes Finding Accessible Homes Easier
“Accessibility is relative; there’s a range there of what criteria people need. What these updates have done is make those criteria searchable.”
The Northwest Multiple Listing Service recently added features to its property database that aim to make it easier to find accessible homes for sale or rent.
Until now, finding a home with accessibility features such as a wheelchair ramp or wide doorways was “virtually impossible,” said Barry Long, who championed the changes along with fellow real estate broker Tom Minty.
“There was no way for me to search and find a home with accessibility features,” said Long, who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair.
Now, accessibility features covering various areas of a property — from entrances to utility rooms — can be added to listings on the service, according to a service news release.
These criteria will allow potential buyers to search homes by the accessibility features they need, Long said. “Accessibility is relative; there’s a range there of what criteria people need,” he said. “What these updates have done is make those criteria searchable.”
This is the first time a listing service has made these features available, Long said.
