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Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood

The neighborhood you choose can have a big impact on your lifestyle—safety, available amenities, and convenience all play their part.

Make a list of activities

• Such as movies, health club, church—you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. 
• See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engaging in your most common activities.

Check out the school district

• The Department of Education in your town can probably provide information on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college, and special enrichment programs. 
• If you have school-age children, also consider paying a visit to schools in the neighborhoods you’re considering. 
• Even if you don’t have children, a house in a good school district will be easier to sell in the future.

Find out if the neighborhood is safe

• Ask the police department for neighborhood crime statistics. 
• Consider not only the number of crimes but also the type—burglaries, armed robberies—and the trend of increasing or decreasing crime. 
• Also, is crime centered in only one part of the neighborhood, such as near a retail area?

Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable

• Check with your local city economic development office to see if income and property values in the neighborhood are stable or rising. 
• What is the percentage of homes to apartments? 
• Apartments don’t necessarily diminish value, but they do mean a more transient population. 
• Do you see vacant businesses or homes that have been for sale for months?

See if you’ll make money

• Ask a local REALTOR^® or call the local REALTOR^® association to get information about price appreciation trends in the neighborhood. 
• Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, this information may give you a sense of how good an investment your home will be. 
• A REALTOR^® or the government planning agency also may be able to tell you about planned developments or other changes in the neighborhood—like a new school or highway—that might affect value.

See for yourself

• Once you’ve narrowed your focus to two or three neighborhoods, go there, and walk around. 
• Are homes tidy and well maintained? 
• Are streets quiet? 
• Pick a warm day if you can and chat with people working or playing outside. Are they friendly? Are there children to play with your family?

Reprinted from REALTOR^® Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® 

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.  www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

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