How To Choose A Neighborhood

House hunting is about more than finding the right home at the right price. You can find the perfect house … but if it’s not in the right area of town to match yours and your family’s lifestyle and needs, you won’t be happy there in the long run. 

Here are our tips for narrowing down neighborhoods:

1. Think Ahead

How far are you willing to commute? If you don’t have children now, do you plan on having them in the future? How important is it to you to be able to walk places? How long do you plan on being in this home? If you’d like to be in your future home for an extended period of time, it’s important that you consider what you want your life to look like a few years down the road. A longer commute may seem ok now, but will you feel the same about it after a year? And if children are in your future, school zoning is an important factor that you need to already be thinking about. 

2. Do your homework. 

A quick Google search on a neighborhood you’re interested in can yield a lot of information that can help you in your decision making process. Check out crime rates for the area, school information and reviews from actual people who live or have lived there. Many neighborhoods now have a community Facebook page which can give you a feel for the neighborhood and the people who could become your neighbors.

3. Go experience it firsthand

There’s only so much you can learn about a place without going there and experiencing it yourself. If you’re serious about a neighborhood, go there and be as critical of the area as you possibly can. What do you hear? Is there a lot of traffic noise or a train track nearby? What is your first impression? Do you feel safe walking there? 

4. Ask a local 

Whether you’re completely new to a town or have been there a long time, the best way to get to know a neighborhood is to ask people who currently live there what they think. If you’ve found a house with great potential, don’t be afraid to knock on some doors to see exactly who you’ll be living near and ask them about their experiences living in the area. Maybe there have been break-ins or there is a frat house nearby that makes a lot of racket. You’ll never know unless you ask. Plus, if these are the people you’ll be living next to for a few years, it’s wise to go ahead and meet them now before you commit.