Gap between 'mature' buyers and builders

Older home owners and the builders of senior housing have a bit of a communication gap, according to a recent survey.

These potential buyers say they want non-slip floors but don't much care about lever doorknobs. Builders say they have those easy-to-open knobs covered but aren't so sure about the floors.

The builders are going green; the buyers say great -- but won't pay extra for it. A third of the consumers want lower kitchen cabinets, emergency call buttons and wood-burning fireplaces. Only about one in 10 providers routinely offer those amenities. Three-quarters of the suppliers build wider doorways; only half the consumers want them.

That supply-and-demand chasm for senior housing was unearthed by the survey, titled "55+ Housing: Builders, Buyers and Beyond".

WalletPop wondered how the results might change builders' plans. But the response of one of the survey's sponsors, MetLife, is, basically, that consumers don't know what's good for them.