Want to know about a Los Altos neighborhood? Ask the neighbors.

Many buyers looking around Los Altos will ask about the neighborhood in which they're looking.  As an agent, I know a bit about what's going on in most neighborhoods but none of us knows it all.  I don't know everything happening in my own neighborhood, let alone each street in Los Altos!  So, when a client asks how nice a neighborhood is I tell them all the same thing - Ask the neighbors!

Buying a home is a big decision and not something to be done without a careful inspection of the home and neighborhood.  While it's easy to inspect the home, the neighborhood is a completely different issue.  Some buyers looking in Los Altos will say they don't want to knock on doors or ask around but that's exactly what a buyer should do.  I generally tell a buyer to visit a house at least 5 times prior to buying; morning, noon, night, a weekday and a weekend day.  In all those visits you'll get a sense of the light, noise, weather and other factors that you'll see living in the house.  You'll also have a chance to see and meet neighbors.

When seeing the home at various times, I recommend looking around the backyard to see who is out in their yard.  I also recommend standing in the front yard and making the same observation.  Most streets in Los Altos are fairly quiet but you'll still see people coming and going.  The more time you spend, the more chances of an enounter with a neighbor.  At that point, a friendly greeting and inquiry about the neighborhood will be a goldmine of information.  I've seen buyers meet 3 or 4 neighbors to get a full understanding of the neighborhood.  Most Los Altos residents are friendly people and more than willing to talk to a prospective home buyer.

If you don't get a chance to meet someone at random, I am more than happy to knock on doors and making introductions.  That's my job.  As a long time Los Altos resident, I am more than happy to meet other people around town on behalf of my buyers.  Meeting your potential neighbors anywhere in Los Altos will make you feel more comfortable with the purchase.