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This home buying tip will give you the tools you
need to conduct neighborhood research in advance of
buying a home.
The Happiness Factor
A home is only as good as the neighborhood it's in.
If you find a home that meets most of your other
home-buying requirements but resides in a
neighborhood you hate, you'll never be truly happy.
The Resale Factor
The same thing applies to the resale value of your
home. A nice home in a less-than-desirable
neighborhood becomes a less-than-desirable home. In
other words, the value of your home is greatly
determined by the area that surrounds it.
What Makes a Good Neighborhood?
Here are some of the ingredients that make up a good
neighborhood. You'll have to evaluate each item
based on your own home-buying priorities:
-
Safe
-
Close to work, school and shopping
-
Closet to good healthcare
-
Clean and attractive
-
Conducive to your lifestyle and interests
-
Aesthetically pleasing
-
Well maintained
How to Research Neighborhoods
The Internet is a great tool for conducting
neighborhood research. It will help you determine
which areas are worth visiting and which ones
aren't. Here are some online resources to get you
started:
-
In the Real Estate section of Yahoo.com, you'll
find a variety of neighborhood research tools.
This makes a great starting point. Just enter
the name of a town (or a zip code), and you'll
get back a series of topics for further
exploration.
-
You'll also find some neighborhood research
tools at Realtor.com, BestPlaces.net, and
monstermoving.monster.com.
-
Lastly, conduct some general searches on the
Internet. You can find interesting resources by
adding keywords like schools, crime rate, taxes,
best neighborhoods, etc.
Make a Neighborhood Checklist
You probably have a home-buying checklist already.
But what about the neighborhood? Is it on your
checklist? If not, you should it add it, or even
create a separate checklist just for neighborhoods.
Some items to include on your list:
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What's your first impression?
-
Does it "feel" like a place you'd like to live?
-
How are the homes and yards maintained?
-
How are the common areas and streets maintained?
-
Do people seem friendly?
-
How close is it to school and/or work?
-
Is it quiet or noisy?
-
Access to major roadways?
-
Access to shopping, dining, etc.?
Conclusion
A house is part of the neighborhood that surrounds
it, and vice versa. So keep this home buying tip in
mind: Research neighborhoods as thoroughly as you
would research the home itself.
* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish
this article if you keep the byline and author's
note, and also leave the hyperlinks active.
Learn more!
This
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