How to Choose a Neighborhood for Your Home Search
Narrow your home search by identifying neighborhoods that are right
for you. This helps keep your search focused and efficient. Your local
REALTOR® can offer neighborhood information to guide you in your search.
When evaluating a neighborhood you should investigate local
conditions. Depending on your own particular needs and tastes, some of
the following factors may be more important considerations than others:
- quality of schools
- property values
- traffic
- crime rate
- future construction
- proximity to schools, employment, hospitals, shops, public
transportation, prisons, freeways, airports, beaches, parks, stadiums
and cultural centers such as museums and theaters
Neighborhood Search Strategies for Limited Budgets
If you’re a first time-buyer with limited financial resources, it's
wise to buy a home that meets your primary needs in the best
neighborhood that fits within your price range. You can maximize your
home purchase location by incorporating some of the following strategies
into your neighborhood search:
- Upcoming neighborhoods: Look for communities that
are likely to become "hot neighborhoods" in the coming years. They can
often be discovered on the periphery of the most continuously desirable
areas.
Check for planned future development such as additional transit; new
community services such as pools and theatres; and chain stores planning
to move in.
Look for a home in a good neighborhood that is a bit farther out of the
city. If commuting is a concern, purchase a home that is close to public
transportation.
- Neighborhood demand: Look at the neighborhood
demand by asking your real estate agent whether multiple offers are
being made, whether the gap between the list price and sale price is
decreasing and whether there is active community involvement. You can
also drive around neighborhoods and see how many "sale pending" and
"sold" signs there are in a particular area.
- Co-ownership: Look into purchasing a condominium or
co-op, rather than a house, in a desirable neighborhood. This way you
still may be able to purchase in a prime area that you otherwise could
not afford.