A San Francisco based web site, Roost, recently conducted a survey that showed that the new top requirement for Americans when searching for a new home was affordability. In 2005, a Kelton Research poll found 72 percent of respondees stated that when looking at available property, the neighborhood was more important than the house itself.

So “location, location, location” is dead, dead, dead. At least for now.

The Roost opinion poll of 1,002 U.S. adults was conducted by phone in May, 2009. 43 percent of respondents across the board – male/female, married/not married, and from every corner of the country – said that finding a home they can afford and maintain was the most important consideration when researching a new home.

“These are challenging if not sobering times for home owners as well as buyers and I think this research indicates that people have become more realistic and responsible about their preferences and plans with regard to the real estate market,” said Alex Chang, CEO of Roost.

The Opinion Research survey also revealed that on average, home buyers spend a significant amount of time researching potential homes to buy online – a full eleven and-a-half hours per week, a number that is even higher for women. Home buyers in the Northeast spend the most time researching prospective homes at 15.2 hours per week.