Choosing the perfect home to settle in can be a tough decision. You have to weigh in on many factors including price, size, features and amenities, number of bedrooms and baths, design, and so on. However, all these factors are not enough to give you a great home ownership experience if you fall into the wrong neighborhood.
Picking the right neighborhood not only guarantees you happiness and comfort, but also helps with home appreciation for the sake of future re-sale value. In most cases, though, it can be tougher to find the perfect neighborhood than it is to find the right house.
Here are some factors that can help you find the right neighborhood:
Schools
If you have kids and the quality of their education is a priority, consider a neighborhood with a reputable school district. Even if you don’t have kids, such a neighborhood will most likely boost your home’s appreciation. You may also find it easier to find a buyer if you decide to move away from the neighborhood.
Crime Rate
No one wants to live in a neighborhood with high crime rates. This is one of the basic factors that you must consider when searching for a new neighborhood. Check the area’s crime statistics from the local authorities, search online, or ask your potential neighbors.
Transport
This is also a key factor to consider. How far do you have to drive to work from the new neighborhood? How much traffic will you encounter in the area?
If you don’t drive, are there adequate public transportation networks in place? How will your kids travel to school? Make sure that the new neighborhood meets all your transportation needs.
Basic Amenities
Is the neighborhood close to basic amenities that you are used to or that you rely on? Such amenities may include a nearby hospital, pharmacy, grocery store, bank or ATM, and law enforcement center.
Recreational Amenities and Activities
Does the neighborhood have a park where you can go for a picnic with your partner or where your kids can play and make friends? Are there cultural attractions such as concerts, art exhibits and film shows?
Are there bars, movie theatres and restaurants close by? Are there malls or stores where you can go shopping during the weekends? What about a library, gym or community swimming pool?
If you are fun-loving person, make sure your neighborhood can provide as much fun as possible. You don’t want to start having regrets about a boring neighborhood in less than a year after settling in.
Community Engagement
Are you looking for a neighborhood with a sense of anonymity or a sense of belonging? In some neighborhoods, neighbors hardly know each other while in others, block parties and community events are a common thing. Which one would you prefer?
It is not easy to find everything you want in one place, but you can definitely get most of it in a certain neighborhood if you search well enough. Create your wish list and contact your trusted real estate professional so that they can help you find your dream house in the best neighborhood for you.
As a potential home buyer, you are probably familiar with what a typical sale looks like. You probably also have a basic understanding of what a foreclosure is and how it works. Another type of sale that may be less understood is called a short sale.
If your financial situation is limited, yet you’re handy with a hammer and nails, then purchasing a fixer-upper home can be an attractive option. Fixer-uppers typically require a bevy of updates and repairs to bring the home up to current market conditions. Because of this, the listing price is often considerably less than a move-in ready home. Your trusted real estate professional can help you find the best projects to buy and sell.
Before delving into tax-deductible home improvements, it’s important to understand that these tax deductions won’t be applied immediately. In most cases, homeowners can only benefit, tax-wise, from their home renovations later, when they sell their home.
The digital age has changed the way buyers browse for and purchase goods and services, including real estate. While home buyers still can check out property listings via a print newspaper or by driving through desired neighborhoods in hopes of finding a “for sale” sign, digital sources offer more options and can make the home buying process easier. 
When you are a homeowner looking to reduce your carbon footprint, there are a number of steps you can take to make your home earth-friendly. From passive solar heating to solar panels, you can make a difference in the impact your home has on the environment.
Today’s homebuyers can have specific ideas and personal preferences that influence their decision on what attracts them to a particular property. While some prefer a fixer-upper, many desire a home that’s as close to turn-key as possible.
In recent years, building an environmentally friendly home or updating an existing home to be more energy efficient has become much more mainstream. While building an entirely green residence isn’t always fiscally possible, simple eco-friendly building techniques and upgrades will ultimately lower your water and electricity bills.
Spring is many people’s favorite season of the year. Obviously, there are many valid reasons why this is so; but, one of the best things about spring is that it is an ideal time to sell your home.
If you’ve had to watch your parents transition into assisted living, you may have no desire to call such a place home. You are not alone. According to the Aging in Place Housing Survey conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), more than 90 percent of seniors want to remain in their home.