Debbie Soden's Blog

WHAT DOES YOUR DREAM HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK LIKE?

In the past, it was pretty easy to decide the kind of neighborhood you wanted to live in and what type of house you wanted buy.  Most of us have a mental image of our “Dream Home”, but they don’t give a lot of thought to Neighborhood.  Start by deciding what you really want in your new neighborhood.

• Do you want to be able to walk to the store, park, movies, etc?
• Do you want to attend a church in the neighborhood that you live?
• Would you like an older historical community or a new planned community/
• Maybe you prefer a bedroom community where they roll up the streets at night
• What about a College town with lots of clubs and activities.

I’d suggest that you make a list of WANTS and DON’T WANTS so that you have real clarity on what you want, and you will be able to identify it when you find it.

WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOLS?

Many communities are cutting back on the public services that they offer.  Libraries, Parks, Community Beautification, and Police Services can be affected.  Take a drive through the neighborhoods that you are considering, and look carefully for clues that the city is having financial trouble.

• Are the streets being cleaned regularly?
• Walk through the Park and take a look around. Does it look well maintained?
• Are the streets clean? You might even want to stop by the local Library and talk to the Librarian… they could be a wealth of information. 

WHAT ABOUT THE PUBLIC SERVICES?

Even if you don’t have any kids in the school system, or plan to enroll them in Private School, it is really important to check out the Public Schools as well.

Are they having budget issues?  Low scores?  Discipline issues?  Under staffed?

WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE?

Having great Neighbors can make or break a neighborhood, so find out how they like living there and what they’re like.  Remember, you can always make changes to your house not the neighbors who you don’t  like. Changing your neighbor or your neighborhood is not so easy.  So it’s worth the time and effort to do some legwork early on – you’ll be glad you did!

• Walk up to neighbors watering the driveway, and introduce yourself
• Knock on a few doors and introduce yourself to potential neighbors.
• Ask what they like or don’t like about the neighborhood.
• Where do they send their kids to school?
• What changes have they seen in the neighborhood?
• Are they happy in the community?
• Is it a children friendly neighborhood?
• What about traffic through the neighborhood?
• What about noise?

YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD DETECTIVE

• Do you see a lot of For Sale signs?
• Are there lots of low rent apartments in the area?
• Do you see a lot of for lease signs in the business community?
• Are the conveniences that you need like cleaners, beauty parlor, and golf course available to you and do they meet your standards?
• If you like to ride your bike, does this community have bike lanes?

Buying a new home is much more than just finding the house you like.  Now, you need to make sure that you know all aspects of the community so that you can make an informed decision about where you want to live.

When you are serious about finding that new home, work with an experienced Realtor in your community.

If you are thinking about investing in a foreclosure property either for your own occupancy, or as an investment property you need to do your homework.  Talk to your real estate tax adviser and a real estate attorney about your specific situation, and make sure that buying a foreclosure property is right for you.

Need more information, just give me a call at 805-300-0936.