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Secrets from the Pros for Finding the Right Neighborhood
You may be looking for your dream house, but have you given any thought to your dream neighborhood? The location of your home is at least as important as those four walls and a roof -- perhaps more so. The right neighborhood can offer not only amenities that are important to you, but an investment that will pay off in years to come.
It's easy to browse Sarasota homes for sale, but harder to shop for a neighborhood directly. Without MLS listings for neighborhoods, how should you determine where to look for your dream home? Here are a few tips to get you started.
Identify Your Priorities
Before you even start shopping for a home, you should have a good idea OF what you want in a neighborhood. Sit down and make a list, ranking them in order of priority. If there is something you can't live without, such as good schools for the kids or walking distance to work, school, shopping, or public transit, put that at the very top of the list and mark it off from the rest.
Some of the factors you might consider in your search for a neighborhood are:
- Schools
- Urban vs. suburban
- Accessibility
- Ease of commuting
- Security and safety
- Amenities such as shopping, restaurants, parks, and more
Balance Price and Investment with Quality of Life
Financially speaking, the best investments are where you buy in during the beginnings of a period of growth, when a neighborhood is just starting to improve itself and grow in popularity, so that your home's value will accrue quickly. Look for areas that are adjacent to popular neighborhoods that have already gone through that period of growth and improvement. As rising values price out young, new buyers, they'll look to recreate the same experience nearby.
This being said, there's still a balance to achieve between a good investment and quality of life. Look for neighborhoods that offer the opportunity for rising values, but also those qualities you ranked as most important. This might mean that the best investments don't make the most sense for you and your family, but that's okay!
Start Your Research Online
The Internet is good for more than just browsing Bradenton homes for sale at 1am. As you browse, make a list of the neighborhoods you see in the listings, and then use Google, municipal websites, and a variety of other online tools to:
- Read reviews of local schools online
- Check crime statistics
- Locate and read reviews for grocery stores, gas stations, coffee shops, etc.
- Track traffic during peak times in Google Maps
- Look for community information, such as local organizations, rec center and library event schedules, etc.
Visit the Neighborhood
If your preliminary research online checks out, it's time to go to the neighborhood and check things out.
- Visit the neighborhood during various times of the day and on different days of the week. What's it like during the day? How does it change in the evenings and on weekends?
- What is the foot traffic like through the neighborhood?
- How do the homes look? Are the houses and yards well-maintained?
- Is the school well-maintained? How do the facilities look?
- Are there bars on the windows? Graffiti or other signs of mischief?
Ask Your Agent
Don't forget about one of the most important resources at your disposal: your real estate agent. Our REALTORS® are knowledgeable about the neighborhoods they cover and can help you more easily navigate the process of finding the right neighborhood for you and your family. Contact Wagner Realty today to consult with one of our experienced agents about your search.
