Finding the Perfect Neighborhood for Your Family

Once you've become pre-approved for a loan, you should be ready to put your house-hunting efforts into full gear. One thing you'll want to remember, however, is not only are you searching for the perfect house, but also the perfect neighborhood.

The neighborhood in which you live will heavily influence your style of living - things such as playing with your children in nearby parks, knowing your kids are attending good schools, feeling safe when your children are playing outside, being close to shops and restaurants, a short commute to and from work, and knowing your home will appreciate at a healthy rate.

One way to get started in your neighborhood search is to get in your car and explore, especially if you're unfamiliar with the area. You can get an idea of what neighborhoods you prefer simply by driving around and seeing which areas appeal to you. You might even get out, walk around, and talk with some of the residents.

When searching in this manner, you'll want to pay particular attention to the general appearance of the homes. Are they well maintained? Are the yards nicely landscaped? If you have children, does the neighborhood seem to have plenty of children around? For singles or couples without children, does the neighborhood seem to attract younger buyers or seniors? In any case, one thing you'll definitely want to consider is the appreciation value - meaning how much the value of the home is likely to increase.

A good Realtor will be very familiar with all the neighborhoods in the area and should be able to tell you about the strengths and weaknesses of the specific neighborhoods you're eyeing.

School Districts

Whether you have school-aged children, infants, or no children at all, buying a home in an area with good schools is still in your best interest. The obvious being if you intend to stay and raise a family in the home, then schools will become of increasing importance as the years progress. Otherwise, when and if you sell the home at some point in the future, future buyers with children will likely consider good schools their top priority. And more often than not, neighborhoods with good schools typically attract more buyers.

You can find many sites on the Internet on which school reports are just a few mouse clicks away. In most cases, all you'll need to do is enter a geographical area or zip code and it will display ratings for the school system. You can also:

• Ask your realtor about information on schools in the area.
• Talk to people in the neighborhood, especially people with children.
• If you have children, visit the schools and take a tour. It's important that your decision isn't based purely through facts gathered online. Get a true feeling for what the school is like.

Prioritize

When researching a neighborhood, you must first determine your priorities. Are you interested in low occurences of crime? Do you need be close to work? What recreational activities are nearby? Are there good schools in the area? Make a list of what's important to you, and try to arrange it from items of most importance to those of least importance. This will help you remember what's really important to you when looking at neighborhoods. It will also give you a clearer picture of items you're willing to compromise on. For instance, if good schools for your children are important, then perhaps a few extra minutes of commuting is no big deal.

Finding the perfect neighborhood will be a challenge. With so much to consider, it will likely take you many trips to determine the right neighborhood for you. However, if you've done the research and feel good about the area, then your likely to make the right choice. After all, a home isn't just an investment, it's where you live...and the community that surrounds your home directly affects your life.

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