How to find the perfect neighborhood, and town, for you

It's not easy to choose the perfect neighborhood for you or your  family. Let's face it, your neighborhood is just as important as your  house. If you are not happy with your neighborhood it will eventually  lead to you not being satisfied with your home. Do your research to  determine what a neighborhood has to offer you. The greatest areas for  families with children is not always the best place for a single person  or empty nesters. This article will explain the things that you should  be looking at in a neighborhood during the buying process.

Location

Location  is everything. Imagine living in an amazing area, but you work over 50  miles away. This will not leave you with much time to enjoy everything  that your neighborhood has to offer considering you will be spending  most of your time commuting to work. Even though there may be a great  neighborhood available 50 miles away from work, that does not mean you  need to consider that home unless you are able to work from home.  Commuting can be overwhelming and will create a dissatisfaction to the  home you purchased.

Location plays a huge factor when it comes to  the community and it's amenities. If you live in a rural area, you will  most likely not find any gyms, retail stores, or things to do. However,  if you enjoy the seclusiveness of a rural area, this may work for you.  Drive around the surrounding area to see everything that is in  proximity. 

Schools

If  you have kids in your home then schools may be the most important  factor to your neighborhood. Some people are looking for a school nearby  for their kids to walk to school and some are seeking schools for  children with special needs. The best advice we could give is to decide  on the schools you enjoy first, then begin looking for the neighborhoods  around the school. 

There are many online resources such as www.greatschools.org where you can look up the schools in your area and their rating. Once  you have decided on a school that you believe will be best for your  family, visit the school. 

Your Neighbors

Asking  the locals in an area is a great way to see if you would enjoy it  there. Locals will know the area best and can make you aware of the  perks and issues. Most people love chatting about their neighborhood and  where they live. By asking questions, you can find if most people in  the area are renters or homeowners. Areas that have a majority or  renters can be very different from areas with actual homeowners who have  been living in the same location for quite some time. Renters have a  higher chance of leaving and may not care as much about the look of  their home versus someone who owns their home and may take pride in how  their property looks. This plays a huge role in our next point, property  values.

Property Values

The  value of a property plays a huge role on choosing a neighborhood. If  your desired neighborhood has high value homes this means higher taxes  for your local government to provide services in the area. If a home has  a declining property value it can directly impact the value of the  entire neighborhood. An area that once was a great looking place to live  can slowly turn into a run down location in need of some tender, love,  and care.

Get Your Home's Value

Property Taxes

Taxes  will vary by neighborhoods, so you should definitely consider them when  buying a home. Like we stated above with property values, areas that  are appreciating in value are also going to have larger taxes. Many  cities have specific times of the year where they reassess home values  to ensure the local government is getting the proper amount of tax  revenue to provide the city with services. This is why it is not always  wise to purchase a home at the top of your price range if you are buying  in a neighborhood with increasing values because the taxes you pay will  go up in cost as well. Purchasing at the top of your budget can make  the excitement of purchasing a home become a nightmare when all your  other expenses roll in.

This is why it is important to make sure  you consider all the expenses that come with owning a home. We can  always help you with any questions you have, so do not be scared to give  us a call. 

Safety

While  some consider safety to be the most important factor in a neighborhood,  not everyone can afford to live communities with 24 hour security, nor  does everyone want to live in a community like that. However, you can  look at the local police departments and crime reports to see what  mischief goes on in a specific area. You can even use online resources  like crime maps to get an idea of the crime rate in certain areas.

Bottom Line

The  neighborhood that you live in can have a greater impact on your  satisfaction than the home itself. The right house in the wrong area  will leave you unhappy in the long-run. Research online, speak with  locals, and drive around the surrounding area to determine the if the  neighborhood is right for you or your family.