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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: 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.
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