The Ideal Neighborhood

The house itself shouldn't be the only selling point when you're buying a house.  Much like when you marry someone you inherit their family, the same goes for buying a house since you inherit the surrounding neighborhood.  The most perfect house in the world is no good to you if you can't stand the community.  You may be happy when you're shut away in your house but the second you venture out into the neighborhood you'll be miserable. 

So don't buy a house in the country if you adore living in the city, and conversely don't buy a house in the city if you constantly crave space and clean air.  You can get a good feel for what the neighbors are like too if you simply take some time to do some investigating.  This is a good idea considering the fact that sometimes the people in a neighborhood have the ability to make it great or horrendous. 

Neighbors

Ask the sellers.  You'll probably get a biased opinion, but in some cases the sellers can give you a pretty accurate lowdown on the neighborhood.  If the seller cheerfully presents you with a neighborhood roster complete with every family's names and birthdays then it is a pretty good indication that this is a friendly neighborhood.  If, however, the seller simply shrugs and says they don't know their neighbors all that well this could be indicative of one of two scenarios: either the sellers aren't all that friendly or the neighbors aren't. 

The sellers might also be able to give you a little history of the surrounding area…if they seem to know a lot about all the people in the community then you have probably stumbled upon a friendly neighborhood.  That is unless, of course, the seller is simply a busybody who makes everyone's business his or her own.  

Approach the neighbors.  People love to talk about themselves, so you may want to take some pastries over to the neighbors in the area and ask if they wouldn't mind telling you about the neighborhood.  You will probably get a less biased opinion from neighbors who have nothing to gain from the sale of the home, and if nothing else you may wind up with some friends if you decide to purchase the house.  Of course you don't want to go to all this trouble for every single home you see; you should reserve this sort of initiated conversation until you have narrowed your choices down to a few homes. 

It is amazing what neighbors can tell you about the house you are thinking about buying.  Maybe they know that the tree in the front yard was split down the middle by lightening a year back and will probably fall over soon.  Or perhaps they can fill you in on a recurring problem with insects, which has become apparent to the neighborhood due to the many instances of fumigation the house has had.  They might even be able to let you know about some zoning activity which you weren't aware of, such as a huge discount store which will soon be built a couple of blocks down, bringing with it more traffic and pollution.  At the very least, they may simply tell you the neighborhood is lovely, the home has had no obvious problems, and that the sellers have always appeared to take care of the home well.  Hearing this from someone who has nothing to lose or gain from the conversation makes it a bit more credible than if the sellers themselves were to say it.    

What sorts of signs do you see?  Take a close look around the neighborhood.  Do you see Neighborhood Watch signs or even flyers for community block parties? Or instead are the fences lined with "No Trespassing" and "Beware of Dog" signs? You can tell a lot about the people in a neighborhood by what sorts of signs they display.  If the majority of the neighbors have foreboding signs, which warn people to stay away, then you have probably not stumbled upon the nicest of neighborhoods.  It is unlikely that these folks will be out caroling come Christmas time.  If, however, you notice many notices posted for community activities or even just notice that people have their front windows open and the children playing in the front yard then it is a good sign that this is a friendly and safe neighborhood.

Do an internet search.  There are so many amazing things you can discover with a simple internet search.  Did you know you can put a zip code into a state registry which will in turn list all the sex offenders living in the vicinity? Many will list the person's name, home address, offense, likelihood of repeat offenses, and even a photo of the sex offender.  If you have young children, or if the idea of living near a registered sex offender simply gives you the creeps, then this is vital information to have.   You will probably be able to find public notices about any new developments in the works for the community, and you can also do a market value estimate of surrounding houses to make sure your potential home is congruent to the other homes in the area. 

You may also want to do a simple check of the history of the neighborhood you are considering because you never know when an otherwise normal-looking community may turn out to be the hosts of an annual convention which might make you nervous, such as a biker rally or some sort of religious revival.  These sorts of events don't bother everyone, of course, but if you are going to purchase a home in a neighborhood you should know ahead of time the particular goings-on of the surrounding area. 

Nearby Amenities

Schools do more than just educate kids.  Schools help set the property values around the neighborhood depending on how highly ranked the school system is.  Even if you don't have any children you will benefit from a good local school system because not only does it make the neighborhood a more desirable place but a good school system will, in theory, churn out responsible kids who are less likely to wander the streets causing mischief.  Be aware, though, that great school districts come at a price.  You will probably pay more in county property taxes to help maintain this high level of education.  You can think of this as an investment in your community's future, but just make sure the taxes aren't so high that they will be hard to pay each year.    

Do you like shopping?  Some people would like nothing more than to have a huge shopping mall built smack in their front yard.  Others detest the idea of having a large shopping center anywhere within walking distance of their home.  You should decide what sorts of access to shopping you are looking for before buying a house.  While having stores nearby can be a great convenience they also bring with them some potential problems.  You will deal with more traffic and consequently more pollution, and busy roadways make for a possible hazard for young children. 

Some people simply don't like the sight of a shopping center near them, what with the bright lights and lack of natural landscaping.  You should know where you stand before buying a home so you don't get roped into buying a house near a shopping center and then being miserable, or instead buying a home away from any shopping and later wishing you had purchased something closer to all the stores.   

Bike paths, parks, and trails…that's good stuff.  There are some amenities, which can turn a pleasant neighborhood into a spectacular one.  If you find a house you like which is situated in an area that has nice parks with walking trails or scenic bike paths then you have hit the jackpot.  Even if you don't personally ride a bike or enjoy getting out in nature you should know that these sorts of things greatly increase the market value of the homes in the surrounding community.  Besides, you never know when you may decide to give bike riding a chance, and there is nothing quite like having a nice outdoor place for some relaxation.  

How do you feel about HOAs? An HOA is a Homeowners Association.  These sorts of associations are prevalent among condominiums and townhouses, but more and more they are cropping up in single-family home developments.  HOAs are a group of residents who get together at regular intervals to discuss current issues involving the neighborhood and to vote on things like new facilities or sometimes even new tenants.  There is usually an annual or monthly fee attached to belonging to an HOA, and usually is an HOA exists in a neighborhood or complex then membership is mandatory in order to live there.  You should be told about any HOA fees when you tour the home.  HOAs have advantages; many include certain services such as lawn maintenance or snow removal in exchange for the recurring fees.  There are drawbacks to HOAs as well. 

If you don't like the idea of other residents making the decisions about your home then living in an HOA community may not be for you.  HOAs have been known to exert their power to force people to change the color of the exterior paint on a house, or even to require a resident to park their car in a garage as opposed to out in plain view.  In the unfortunate instance where a fanatic person is voted into a position of power an HOA can really wreck some havoc in a community.  If the idea of an HOA makes you nervous then tell your realtor that you would rather not bother even visiting a home which is located in a neighborhood where membership into the HOA is compulsory.  This will save you from falling in love with a home only to be disappointed when you find out an HOA is involved.

Spend The Night!

Don't believe everything the realtor tells you.  Your realtor makes his or her money when you finally do purchase a home.  Up until that point they are simply a buyer's agent…someone assisting you in finding an ideal home and helping you out with all the ins and outs of the buying process.  For this reason, it behooves your realtor to find you a suitable home as quickly as possible and to send you on your way. 

Although in theory your realtor should be someone who you can trust you need to err on the side of caution when trusting them.  If your realtor shows you homes outside of your price range and then tries to talk you into them, this can be a sign that he or she does not necessarily have your nest interests in mind.  If, on the other hand, your realtor points out flaws in potential homes or otherwise dissuades you from bidding on a particular home because of potential problems then you are fortunate enough to have a realtor who is probably looking out for your best interests. 

Either way, do not allow your realtor to talk you into or out of something which you feel strongly about.  If you hate ranch-style homes but your realtor constantly attempts to sing the praises of ranch-style houses you need to stick to your guns.  If all else fails, you can always fire him or her and find someone else who will better suit your needs.   

Your own searches won't tell you the whole story either.  You should face the fact that no matter how much research you do, and how many people you ask, you may still wind up with a home which you will eventually not be at all pleased with for one reason or another.  This is why you need to pay attention to every detail and spend some real time with researching the home and the surrounding area.  It is not possible to spend too much time researching a potential home and neighborhood, and you should do all you can to make sure that once you decide on a particular home that you are making the best decision for you and your family.

Load up the car and go on a fact-finding mission.  Some neighborhoods look charming during the day, but this can all change once the sun goes down.  For one reason or another some areas are fine during the day yet intolerable at night, either due to local hooligans or even nighttime flying from a local airport.  If you purchase a home without knowing about the surrounding nightlife then it may come as an unpleasant surprise on your first night. 

The very best thing you can do before buying a home is to park your car near the home at sunset and then simply sit and watch.  Does the neighborhood drastically change? Do the neighbors come out and greet each other, or do rough-looking teenagers prowl the street? Are there any nearby billboards, which light up and cast an annoying glow right into the front windows of your potential house? Your sleuth work will pay off by either showing you concrete reasons why you should not buy a home in this neighborhood or rather by confirming that this neighborhood is a great place to live.   

There is so much more to a home than the structure itself.  You should take all aspects of the surrounding area into consideration since you are not only buying a home, but also buying a portion of a neighborhood.  Look at the bigger picture; don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you can think of and to research the area surrounding the home.  A bit of detective work now will probably save you from some grief in the future when you realize you can't stand your neighbors or the community or even the house itself. 

On the next page we discuss How Much You Can Afford To Spend.