So you’ve made the decision to move, but now you need to decide where. Finding the right place involves a complex process of narrowing down nearly endless options. Here’s a great set of tips to focus your search on areas that will meet your family’s needs.
How are the schools?
Education is one of the most fundamental questions a family should consider when moving house. Often neighborhoods with great public schools tend to be more expensive than neighborhoods with similar homes and it is tempting to go for the deal. But when you consider the cost of private education vs. public, it may be worth it to splurge on the pricier neighborhood if you plan on using the public education services for the next seven to ten years.
We love Great Schools, a wonderful website that aggregates school test scores, class sizes, demographics, parent opinions, and information provided by administrators to compile a quick snapshot of a school’s performance. Their rating system, ranking schools from 1-10, weighs a variety of factors and provides an easy way to compare schools across districts, towns or to locate an area of a particular state you’d like to live in. I can personally say that I’ve logged many hours researching our cross country move, and we landed in a wonderful school as a result.
What community services are available?
In this case, you are looking for activities you and your family will enjoy. Some popular choices are: access to swimming like beaches, lakes, public swimming pools, sports leagues (check out local AYSO, YMCA, Little Leagues, martial arts classes, etc.), golf courses, community recreation centers, camps, etc. The internet is a great source for this - simply search for your town and you’ll likely find a range of activities. As we locate good resources, we’ll post them here. Feel free to add more in the comments!
Will there be adequate places to play?
In some densely populated parts of the country, green space is at a premium. You want to find neighborhoods where children can be outside and play, either in a yard, community court yard or playground that offers climbing, swinging and other healthy and imaginative options.
Is the neighborhood safe?
This can be difficult to tell just by driving by quickly, although if you are uncomfortable during the tour, trust your instincts. Some warning signs to be aware of are metal bars or grates on windows and doors (especially at ground level), broken bottles, graffitti, trash, and any other unsavory treats around the neighborhood. Great Places is a great resource to look up community crime statistics, home prices, and more.
How far is it to required services (groceries, medical facilities, other key service providers?)
My mother-in-law once forbid me to buy a house that was too far away from a grocery store to buy milk. This is a good rule of thumb if you tend to like homes in “downtown” areas where amenities are close to homes and homes are located on smaller lots. Others prefer a bit more seclusion and privacy. In this case, too much may be a problem if you are snowed in, feel isolated or need to drive a long way to shop, get to work, go to the doctor, or drop off your dry cleaning. Consider how far you want to be from the services you will need to use, and how close you want to be with your neighbors. This will help you identify the right style of neighborhoods for your search.
How easy will our commutes be?
This one is a killer. In many parts of the country, traffic is on the rise. Many workers are convincing their bosses to allow telecommuting, which makes workers happier, more loyal and many times more productive, can save the company money on facilities and telecommunications expenses. However, most of us have to get up in the morning, put on pants, then shoes (after coffee!) and get to the office. Can you walk, bike or run to the office? Well, then you are making the rest of us jealous indeed. Do you fly into a fit of rage while stuck on a two lane highway for an hour and a half? You, my friend, should probably not live 30 miles from work. Do you enjoy riding on a train rather than driving? You should consider proximity to the train station, and check with the town hall or commutation authority to find out about parking. In some towns, there is a 10 year waiting list for parking spots!
How do the neighbors like it?
The best part of checking out a neighborhood is driving around and playing “A Day in the Life”. I love to go to the grocery store to check out the friendliness of the local people. It also helps to stop into other businesses and schools where you might spend a lot of time. And, nothing beats talking to people you meet on your drive around a target neighborhood. Look for people with children playing in parks, riding bikes or scooters around the block or stop at a Little League game. Strike up a conversation - “We’re thinking of moving to this area. What do you like best about it? What’s the biggest issues?” Many people love to talk about their towns, and if they don’t or they don’t seem open to talking with you, it might not be your favorite place.
Can we afford it?
A rough rule of thumb is that you should spend no more than 1/3 of your monthly budget on housing. That includes rent or mortgage, insurance, taxes, and to be conservative, factor in monthly utility bills, housekeeping, gardening, home owner’s association dues and any other smaller bills that go along with your home.
You don’t want to get a great big house, only to find that it costs you an extra $500 a month to heat, cool or light it. If you move into a fancier area, you should also account for fancier prices for gas, groceries, activities and retail.
Make a monthly budget and decide what you can spend on housing and related costs, then stick to that number. Your dream house might turn into a nightmare if you can’t afford it.
Are there enough choices available for buying or renting?
So, you found the perfect neighborhood! Now you are ready to search for properties for sale or rent in that area. Check out our favorite sites for finding properties:
Sell your home with
Zip Realty has great search and sorting tools - my favorite is a proximity search around a certain point like an office or school address. You can save up to 100 listings and an agent is assigned to you when you sign up. They offer a generous commission rebate which can save you a lot of money on a purchase.
Zillow is an incredible real estate mash up site. It shows you home values for each home in your target neighborhood, overlays homes that are for sale and lets you zoom into an aerial map of any neighborhood. Homeowners and agents list details about homes. Using this site will help you establish comparable property values for any home you like. You’ll know if a home is being listed as a good deal compared to what other similar homes have sold for in the neighborhood. I love to do my homework on Zillow!
Realtor.com is a great site for investigating neighborhoods as well. You don’t have to register (unless you want to save properties) and there is a great mapping and brochure function in the site that helps you print out nice neat copies for your journey.
Tags: community services, commutes, find homes, neighborhood, neighbors, property value, right neighborhood
May 19th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
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