Buyers spend considerable time by looking at listings in the websites, searching for their dream and within-budget home. Few people spend a little time on knowing the neighborhood. If you are buying a home means, you are investing on the neighborhood. It may be for resale or for your permanent address, neighborhood is an important consideration. We will see how to choose the right neighborhood for your new home.
- Crime and safety: Crime and safety in the neighborhood are very important. To know the crime information of that area, search in the internet using search engines like MSN, or Yahoo or Google etc. You can find some information about the crime in that particular area or community. If it is a big city, you can get clear reports. In small towns, some basic information has been maintained. If you are not getting sufficient information, just contact the police department located in or nearest to that area. They can provide good information about the area or community. Check the area by drive around and look for vandalism or graffiti those are like broken windows, strong deterrents for homes like, high fences, signs of beware of dogs, bars on accessible windows etc.
- Transportation: Most communities are designed around town center concept. This provides to the residents can walk to entertainment, shops, restaurants and sometimes to work. Homes that located near to popular commuter routes and subway stations are more costly than the longer distance homes.
Check for traveling time to your office, have to go with or against the traffic, route navigation, public transportation alternative, taxi fares, transit stop distance and other your personal requirements. Ask the realtor if there is anything available for low cost with these facilities. If not available and you need them, you may need to compromise and have to take a smaller one.
- Schools: If you are planning to have children or already have good schools in a community is already a higher priority. Even you do not have children to educate or don’t plan for children, schools in the neighborhood should be must.
It will add considerably to value of your home. In a nationwide survey conducted by Redfin a real estate company in 2013 reveals that Americans pay $50 more per square foot to the homes that have top ranked school in neighborhood than average ranked school.
- Taxes and Property values: Find out the current tax rates in that area and changes in the tax rates in past five years as well is there any increase expected. Find out the present value of the houses in that area, past five and ten years average values. Check how much the property value increased. Is there any development in the past five and ten years, and check the future development plans in the future years. You can find this information at the local chamber of commerce or city hall. If there is any development in that area, traffic and taxes will be increase.
Make your own preferences about your neighborhood for your new home. Those are based on your interests like anonymity, newer development or older neighborhood, proximity to restaurants and shopping, parks and trees, walking to amenities, busier active area or quiet streets, etc.