Economist Paul Emrath of NAHB has updated a model he developed that estimates the value various features add to a home. The updated research paper and estimating tool enables builders, developers, prospective home buyers and home owners to see the impact that various physical features and neighborhood characteristics might have on the price of a home.

Looking at location factors, the updated NAHB tool finds a general tendency for house prices to be higher in the Northeast and West, as well as in central cities and suburbs. Meanwhile, prices tend to be lowest for homes built outside of a metro area, though some regional variation exists regardless of urban status.

Here's an interesting conclusion from the article:

Among other important findings, the estimator reveals that the greatest impact on a home’s value comes from adding a third full bathroom, which boosts the estimated price of a standard new home built in a Southern suburb by about $43,000. Meanwhile, eliminating the fireplace reduces the estimated price by about $24,000.

If you're still adjusting baths at $2,000 and fireplaces at $1,500 . . . You MIGHT want to go back into the market to check those out!!

Source: NAHB