Buying a house is a big decision and an even bigger responsibility. With that being said, you don’t want to downplay the neighborhood. You may stay in your home for 10, 20, or 30 years and you want to make sure that you choose a great place to live. Whether this is your first home or your fourth you may not have thought of these neighborhood necessities.
What to consider when choosing a neighborhood:
- The value of the surrounding homes
- Crime
- Property taxes
- Neighboring schools
The value of surrounding homes
When buying a home you want to also consider how easy it will be to sell. If neighboring homes are well kept and have a high property value it will most likely increase the value of your home. You want your future home to be in a great neighborhood because it will attract buyers to the area.
Crime
No one wants to think about the bad things, but bad things do happen. If the area you are looking at has a high crime rate it may be harder to sell in the future. You will also want to consider things like a security system for your property in order to ensure you are protected in case the unthinkable occurs.
Property taxes
Since you have a budget set you will want to take a close look at the property taxes in the neighborhood you are looking at. Property taxes are typically listed with each property, and if not you can easily find them out. The amount of property tax you are paying will greatly affect what you can or cannot afford. In order to make sure your budget stays intact, be sure to add your property taxes to your house payment.
Neighboring schools
The area schools are important to consider especially when you have children, but they also affect the value of the home and your property taxes. If you do not have school age children or children at all the neighboring schools may not matter to you, but remember they could matter to a potential buyer when you go to resell.
Buying a home doesn’t have to be something you dread, but should be an exciting time for you and your loved ones. As always, we are here to help! If you are ready to buy a home, be sure to give us a call today to speak with one of our expert realtors. We are here to work for you.
