Purchasing a home will be the biggest financial decision of your life—one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are a number of factors that need to be considered even before hiring a real estate agent in order to help you choose the right area or neighborhood.
If you’re currently looking for a home or plan on looking for a home in the near future, use the following tips to find the best place for you and your family:
Your Commute Time
The average commute time in the United States is 25 minutes. If you’ve recently taken a job in a big city but would rather move to a small suburban town like Chesterfield, then make sure you take into account traffic back and forth. While your smartphone says you have a 30 minute drive, it could take twice as long. If you’re using an agent, like those at Marilyn Salzman Real Estate, then you should definitely ask them about traffic in the area is like that might affect your daily travels.
Amenities
If you’d like to find a home that is within walking distance to a variety of amenities like restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops and more, look for a home that is close to the downtown area. If you and your family would consider it, a comfortable condominium might be the perfect option because single family homes might be too far from the main strip for walking.
School District
Your children are your future, and you need to make sure they go to the best schools possible. In many cities across the country, children are assigned to schools based on where they live. If that’s the case for you, locate the top three schools in the city and narrow down your home search to those neighborhoods. If you plan on staying in your new home for a significant amount of time, make sure that there is at least one quality elementary, middle and high school for your children as they grow older.
Friends and Family
If friends and family are very important to you, finding a home that is within a few minutes’ drive to them should be on your list of moving factors. Having friends and family around during and after the move will not only alleviate stress, but could even make moving more enjoyable. Friends and family might move in the near future, so even if you take them into consideration, place more priority on school district and amenities.
The home buying process is long and often full of headaches. Narrowing down your choices to a few neighborhoods will help your real estate agent locate the best properties that fit your budget and personal constraints.
