When searching for a new home, buyers should be concerned with the age of the home, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the general condition of the home. However, before officially starting the home search, it’s important that buyers also consider location matters. These include the quality of the schools, neighborhood characteristics, crime rates and area attractions. A great home in a bad area may not be worth it. Check out these tools to help buyers see how their desired area measures up.
School Districts
For many families, a quality education is essential. To truly discover what a school has to offer, it’s best to call and ask for a pre-enrollment visit where things such as number of teachers, number of students per class, extracurriculars, and optional courses such as foreign language, technology, and advanced classes. But to first narrow down the list of options, buyers should check out SchoolDigger.com. This resource allows buyers to see what school districts are available in their prospective home’s area. It also offers statistics such as student/teacher ratio, enrollment, test score averages, and a ranking number by state.
Neighborhood
When choosing a future home location, proximity to work and school will be likely considerations. It’s also important to review the statistics revealing the quality of the neighborhood. HomeFacts.com covers data ranging from median household income and unemployment rates to environmental and natural hazards to political party representation. Information on foreclosures and rental properties can also be revealing as to the direction the neighborhood is heading. If neighboring homes are not being well cared for, property values could decrease throughout.
Crime Rates
Safety is essential when buyers are choosing their community. A great site to check out recent criminal incidents is SpotCrime. The interactive map is created from “police agencies and validated sources,” listing offenses such as assault, burglary, robbery, shooting, theft and vandalism. The site allows the user to click on specific instances to get as much information as possible.
Area Attractions
Avoiding bad features doesn’t comprise the entire neighborhood search process. Making sure that a home is also located near fun amenities and relaxing facilities can also be a top priority. Nourish Interactive has a feature that allows users to search for local playgrounds based on city and then narrowing down to neighborhood. Public Courses allows visitors to search for local golf courses, providing links and course information. There’s sure to be a website for any amenity a potential home buyer could wish to search for.
The team at Ray Larson Real Estate Group is happy to help home buyers find the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood. To begin a real estate investment journey, call (281) 803-9670 for exceptional, personalized customer service.