What Makes a Good Neighborhood?

Where To Buy A Home...

What makes one neighborhood more desirable than another?

Often it's the visible aspects of the community such as obvious pride of ownership in the well maintained houses and clean, tree-lined streets.

Sometimes it's the intangibles: a look, a feeling you get while driving down a street. When you're house hunting, it's important to remember that when you buy a home you're also buying the neighborhood.

Your home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make. Therefore it's wise to buy in an area that is stable and has a good reputation. A neighborhood's reputation is based on many factors, including close proximity to a thriving economic centre. Look for good schools and easy access to public facilities such as libraries, parks and recreation centers.

Also consider commuter time: how long will it take you to get to work? Remember not to decide that based on when you make the drive to view the house, but actually during rush hour. Are you the type of person who doesn't mind an hour's drive each way to work? Or do you prefer to take public transit?

Before you purchase a home, it's a good idea to check with the planning and zoning departments at city hall for proposed developments in the area. If you're looking for a quiet area away from the hustle and bustle, you'll want to know if there's a proposed shopping mall going in at the corner. Or could there be an office tower slated to back up against your backyard?

The resale potential of the neighborhood is important too. Your Real Estate sales representative can show you a complete report on the properties listed and sold in the area, and discuss the potential for appreciation in property values.

Try to get a sense of the community before you move in.
Make several trips to the area you're considering.
Visit on different days of the week at different times of the day and night.
Do you like what you see?
Do you feel comfortable?
Talk to residents... they are a wealth of knowledge about the neighborhood and the community.
You might want to visit the library and read several issues of the local paper to get an overview of what's going on in the area.

Is the Neighborhood Environmentally Safe?

Scorecard.org helps buyers evaluate an area’s environmental safety. Site users can identify local environmental hazards and gauge area pollution levels.

By entering your zip code the site will generate a comprehensive pollution report on your county. These reports encompass all the pollution categories covered by the site, including (when available) statistics on air and water pollutants, lead poisoning, toxic waste, and animal waste. You can also review the reports for more than one neighborhood to evaluate your findings. The site provides a summary that shows the area’s percentile range compared to other U.S. counties for each category of pollution.

You can also count on your Real Estate Agent to be a fountain of information as well.
So when it comes to buying your house, you'll choose a neighborhood where you'll feel right at home.

Thinking of Buying a New Home? Let REALTORS® compete for your business to find the perfect home for you in the perfect neighborhood!

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