When you buy a house, you will most likely purchase one that is located within a neighborhood. While it's important to thoroughly examine and evaluate a house before you make an offer on it, it's also very important to analyze the neighborhood in which the house is located. Here are features of neighborhoods you should evaluate as you begin shopping for a home to buy.
Location of nearby activities for children
If you have children, one of the neighborhood features you might want to analyze is the location of nearby activities for your kids. For example, does one of these homes have a park in it or close by? Where are the schools located compared to the houses you are looking at? When you have children, factoring in these details can make it easier to choose a house in the right neighborhood for your needs.
Safety and crime statistics
Whether you have kids or not, you could always examine the safety and crime statistics in each of the neighborhoods as you try to decide which home to buy. Living in a place that is safe is probably important to you, especially if you have kids, and you can base the safety of a neighborhood by the crime statistics. If you are not sure how to do this, contact the local police department and ask the questions you have.
Distance from your job
Another good factor to evaluate when you have two houses you cannot choose from is the distance each one is to your job. In some cases, both houses might offer exactly what you need, but one of them might be too far from your workplace. To calculate this, you might want to drive from each home to your job during rush hour. This would give you an accurate estimate of how long it would take you to get to work from each home.
Condition of the neighborhoods
One other factor you could compare is the condition of each of the neighborhoods. Is one of the neighborhoods nicer and better cared for than the other? If so, you should factor this into your decision. A well-cared for neighborhood might help the homes hold their values a little more, which will help protect you and your investment.
If you have questions about the home-buying process, contact a real estate agency like RE/MAX ORANGE COUNTY EAST. They can help you locate and view homes that meet your needs and budget.