Will Your New Home Community Offer a High Quality of Life?
May 22, 2007
One of the most frequently cited criteria for the selection of a new home community is location, location, location. Where you choose to live says a lot about your lifestyle, and it can shape your quality of life. Shopping, weather, and commuting times are a few major quality of life factors that come up when searching for a new home. ‘Family needs’ are top-of-mind when deciding where your new home should be located. This includes neighborhood safety and high quality schools.
Know the Community Educational Options
If you have children in school, it is important to consider the educational options near your new home. If you work with a local real estate agent, they should have a wealth of information and knowledge about schooling options near your new home.
If you feel that you need a second opinion about schools in a particular neighborhood, you can consider visiting the U.S. Department of Education, http://www.nces.ed.gov. This website is full of very useful information on schools in your neighborhood including statistics and ratings on those schools. Additionally, www.greatschools.net allows you to view similar statistics such as school ratings, diversity, and parent ratings. Great schools do not always coincide with the safety of a neighborhood. Is the neighborhood you are scoping-out really safe?
Is the New Home in a Safe Area?
When searching to buy a house in a new neighborhood, personal safety is top-of-mind. Low crime, large homeowner rates, education level, and demographics are some factors that help determine the safety level of a city, town or neighborhood.
Is the house located in a neighborhood with mostly renters or buyers? Homeowners often focus more attention on home and yard maintenance and they have more of a stake in the safety of their neighborhood. A neighborhood full of renters may be full of college students and others that only live in the neighborhood for a year or so before the place is up for rent again. High renter turnover can contribute to higher levels of crime then more established neighborhoods.
How high is the crime level in the new area? Finding out about community crime is usually very assessable statistic. To verify crime levels you may want to check with local crime bulletins, community watch groups, and visit the Bureau of Justice at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs. Also, you might consider subscribing to the local newspaper or viewing the local paper online and following the police blotter. The local police department should also have statistics on crime in particular neighborhoods.
What is the Safety Landscape of the Community?
The best way to scope out the safety level of a new neighborhood is to do some investigating of your own. Many communities change depending on the time of day, day of week, and season. Remote research is a great way to feel out the landscape of a new area, but it is best to speak with people in the neighborhood and learn about their view of safety in the community. Looks can be deceiving and sometimes a wholesome looking neighborhood can turn into a haven for crime and loitering at night.
The Best Cities to Buy a New Home
Every year, CNN covers the “Best Places to Live” list. CNN conducts researches and gathers statistics in order to accumulate a list of the top best cities to live. Factors that go into raking cities include educational quality, home prices, crime level, employment rate, and environment. In 2006, CNN Money reports the follow cities as the top places to live in the United States:
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Naperville, Illinois
- Sugar Land, Texas
- Columbia/Ellicott City, Maryland
- Cary, North Carolina
Choosing a new home and neighborhood is a very important decision for you and your family. There are so many resources available to assist you in your home buying decision. Before you buy a house, you need to gather information from your local REALTOR®, community members, and internet resources. Remember there is no substitute for personal investigation; visit the new neighborhood regularly and at different days and times to get a feel for the lifestyle and safety level. Your real estate agent can help you determine if the house and neighborhood are a good fit for you and your family. Buying a new home is a big-step, but with some determination and research you will find the community that matches your needs.
Copyright © 2007 HomeScout
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