What Neighborhood Should I Live In?

Where you live affects everything about your lifestyle, every single day.

Read the above statement again and let it sink in.

Why? Because finding a location that matches your wants and needs is so critical to your happiness in your home and in your daily life. Think about this, you can always change or alter something you don’t like about a particular home. You can paint over some god-awful color in the bedroom, upgrade a kitchen with new stainless appliances, or even budget for large family room addition.

What you can’t do is change the location!

No matter how much you may love everything about your new home, if you are frustrated with your neighborhood or it doesn’t fit with who you are or who you want to be, then you’ll never be satisfied!

Keep in mind that you could find a similar neighborhood with the same feel of a favorite neighborhood, and it could be more in line with your price range. That is why not to limit yourself and doing research on all sorts of neighborhoods will be worth your time before you start house hunting. There could be a hidden gem just for you!

Neighborhood Research 101

If you’re ready to buy a home, then schedule some time now to gather as much information you can on different neighborhoods. Don’t cancel out certain areas since you might be surprised how compatible they are to your lifestyle and budget.

Do Some Foot Work 

Even though the internet can give you lots of information, it’s still good to do some research on foot and face-to-face.

• Ask friends, family or colleagues about neighborhoods they like, have heard about or even live in. Talk to people who live the different neighborhoods you are considering. What do they like? Think about their answers and how is their life or daily habits compared to yours? There are lots of choices and new communities all over so use these personal contacts!

• Plan to visit friends, family, colleagues and see their neighborhoods in person. Meet them for lunch or dinner, walk around, visit stores. You’ll get a better feel for the atmosphere and amenities of the area. You should get honest and direct answers about schools, crime, traffic, parking etc.

• Drive around both day and night, rush hour and weekends, and as much as possible to see how the neighborhood works and functions on a daily basis.

Why Neighborhoods Matter

It’s the little daily habits that can make a big difference in where you live. A certain neighborhood may or may not match what you love to do every day or even need to do every day. Why frustrate yourself from the get-go?

Determine what you like the most about your day. Really consider what you do and don’t like about your current neighborhood. Write them ALL down.

Keeping asking and answering questions such as these:

• Do you like your current commute to work? Do you love stopping by your local coffee house often? Do you like to go for runs outside? Do you need to walk your dog or live near a dog park?

• Do you want to be near work and have a short commute?

• Do you love to be near restaurants, theaters, or close to more vibrant hot spots? Do you hate crowds, busy streets and traffic?

• Is community important to you? What about schools, recreation centers or park space?

• Do you feel the need for green space, grass, trees and lots of open space? Do you love to garden or want a large backyard for children or dogs? Or is a playground or dog park nearby sufficient?

Same Vibe, Different Neighborhood

Once you determine what you like most about certain neighborhoods, you can then pinpoint which neighborhoods meet these “needs, wants & musts.”

If the price range doesn’t match your budget, you can still find the same “neighborly” feel but for less cost in another location. If your “must” is being able to enjoy your own backyard for gardening or walking your dog, then everything else could change (the home’s size, condition, etc.).

Your budget will determine what type of home you can afford in a particular neighborhood – such as a moderate, traditionally built home, or a more modern, high ceiling home. You can always tweak your budget or rethink some of your “musts” if you’re way off base and can’t even find a comparable neighborhood.

Don’t Forget About Resale

There are certain factors in a location – both desirable and undesirable — that you should consider for resale value. Does the neighborhood have good schools? Is the home on a busy corner lot? Crime and traffic can affect a home’s value.

As you can see, do your research ahead of time! You’ll be more satisfied with your purchase if you know about different neighborhoods. They’ll be no “what ifs” or “should haves” that will haunt you in your new home.

If you are having a hard time deciding which area you want to live in, I can help with that!  Don’t feel like you have to have everything figured out before you talk to me.

My job is to help you along the way, even before you are ready to make any moves. I may even be able to connect with clients that live in the neighborhoods you are considering to give you the inside scoop!   

I can’t wait to hear from you.  Just email me and we can schedule a time to talk more.