SmartHomeOwners

There's more to buying a home than merely selecting a house or condo.  The type of neighbourhood surrounding the home should be considered as well.  After all, this is where you and your family will live and play for many years to come.  Don't you feel it's worth careful consideration?  These tips for choosing a neighbourhood can help you make a wise decision when buying a home.

Neighbourhood Visits

Your first step should be to become familiar with the neighbourhood first hand.  Take several car trips through the area at different times of the day and evening.  Drive through the neighbourhood in the morning to see how many people are out and about.  Are most people leaving for work?  Are there many stay-home parents?  Are there small children playing throughout the day?  Drive through at about the time school lets out and notice how many children arrive on buses.  If there are teens, notice if they congregate together or go to their own houses after school.  Drive through during the late evening hours (after 10:00pm) and notice if there are any "hang-out" spots where teens or even gangs are hanging around.  If so, you might want to avoid that particular neighbourhood.

Try to meet a few of the residents and ask about the general area.  Find out if it's a quiet, peaceful place to live.  Are the residents mostly young families, middle-aged, or elderly?  Check with the local authorities to research if the area has a high crime rate.  All neighbourhoods are susceptible to break-ins and theft, but some have an unusually high crime rate.

Evaluate Property Values

Once you've determined it's a safe, pleasant neighbourhood, evaluate the property values of nearby homes.  Speak with your realtor about the surrounding homes to find out if property values are up or down in that neighbourhood.  Notice if there are other homes for sale near the home you wish to buy.  Unless you're set on moving to a particular area, try to avoid neighbourhoods if yours will be the only "owned" home and the others are rental homes.  This could cause the value of your home to depreciate over the years.  Check out the condition of other homes and yards.  Are they well kept or do the homes and yards appear to be neglected?  Ask your realtor about future construction plans.  Will other homes be built there soon?  Are any businesses planning to build in the nearby vicinity?  You'll certainly want to know if a huge factory is planning to open within a mile of your home!

Other Considerations

Another thing to consider when choosing a neighbourhood is its proximity to stores, hospitals, schools, prisons, your place of employment, public transportation, entertainment venues, airports, parks, churches, etc.  Also, don't feel pressured by a real estate agent to buy a home in a certain neighbourhood.  Take your time to compare several attractive areas.  Consider how far you'll have to drive to work, school and into the city for errands.  Even if your child will attend private school, you'll want the route to be as easy and quick as possible during the morning traffic rush.

If you're seeking a retirement home or condo, use these same tips but also consider the overall atmosphere of a neighbourhood. Is it generally quiet or noisy?  Is it slow-paced or always busy?  You probably won't want to retire in a neighbourhood where there are lots of kids, roaming pets or loud cars!

The neighbourhood you choose can be a blessing or a curse, so take time to look around before marking a purchase offer!