Finding
the Perfect Neighborhood
The
neighborhood you choose can have a big impact on
your lifestyle—safety, available amenities, and
convenience all play their part.
- Make
a list of the activities—movies, health
club, church—you engage in regularly and
stores you visit frequently. See how far you
would have to travel from each neighborhood
you’re considering to engaging in your most
common activities.
- Check
out the school district. The Department of
Education in your town can probably provide
information on test scores, class size,
percentage of students who attend college, and
special enrichment programs. If you have
school-age children, also consider paying a
visit to schools in the neighborhoods you’re
considering. Even if you don’t have
children, a house in a good school district
will be easier to sell in the future.
- Find
out if the neighborhood is safe. Ask the
police department for neighborhood crime
statistics. Consider not only the number of
crimes but also the type—burglaries, armed
robberies—and the trend of increasing or
decreasing crime. Also, is crime centered in
only one part of the neighborhood, such as
near a retail area?
- Determine
if the neighborhood is economically stable.
Check with your local city economic
development office to see if income and
property values in the neighborhood are stable
or rising. What is the percentage of homes to
apartments? Apartments don’t necessarily
diminish value, but they do mean a more
transient population. Do you see vacant
businesses or homes that have been for sale
for months?
- See
if you’ll make money. Ask Alfred Mitchell
REALTORSÒ
for information about price appreciation
trends in the neighborhood. Although past
performance is no guarantee of future results,
this information may give you a sense of how
good an investment your home will be.
Government planning agencies can tell you
about planned developments or other changes in
the neighborhood—like a new school or
highway—that might affect value.
See
for yourself. Once you’ve narrowed your focus to
two or three neighborhoods, go there, and walk
around. Are homes tidy and well maintained? Are
streets quiet? Pick a warm day if you can and chat
with people working or playing outside. Are they
friendly? Are their children to play with your
family?
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