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Better School District Or Better Home?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with KGC Properties LLC, Tucson Property Management & Real Estate

When purchasing a home, there are a variety of different factors that we consider when making this big decision. The top factors include size of the house, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, layout, fixtures, condition, neighborhood, location, etc.  Clearly, there’s a lot that we weigh in our minds when thinking about a home.

Another big factor that many people consider are area schools.  But many people cannot afford the home they want in top school districts.  Therein lies yet another consideration – do you go for a house that isn’t what you want, or in the condition or size you want, just to be in the school district, or do you buy the house you want, in the area you want?

Discussion for each side:

Nice, newer home in decent school district.

The Upside: Get the house you want, and send the kids to schools that are good enough.

The Rationale: Kids learn most of their values at home, and a household with supportive parents that value education and family can help the kids succeed in life even if they didn’t go to the very best schools.

Vs.

Smaller, older in an excelling school district.

The Upside:  You get your kids in the school you want and you work with the home you can afford in the area.

The Rationale: You can make sacrifices for your kids and live just as good in a home that is either not what you want, smaller, etc.

So which would you pick -  better school or better home?  And if you don’t have kids, pretend you do and share your thoughts!

Posted by

Buying or selling Tucson real estate, Mt Lemmon, Tucson bank-owned homes, Tucson rental homes, or Tucson lease option homes? Visit www.KGCPropertiesLLC.com .

                                                 

 

This blog is written with my opinions and my opinions are  presented with accuracy but not guarantees. Please talk to a professional before making any real estate, financial or agency decisions.    Gabrielle Kamahele Rhind - 2014. If you want to reprint parts of this - just email me for my permission: KGCProperties@gmail.com .

 

Comments(9)

Karen Crowson
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Rancho Bernardo, CA
Your Agent for Change
Gabrielle, this is a worthy discussion. When we bought our brand new house 19 years ago, there wasn't a computer in every home, nor easy access to API scores for individual schools, at least that I knew about. We moved to a city with a well-rated school district, far superior to the one we were leaving. So I just didn't know what I didn't know. With my three sons, it turned out that the ones that they were consistent. The one who was the star student still was. The good student remained so, and the one who could care less about school, was the one we still had to prod. I suppose we'd fall into category one. Good discussion topic.
Jun 07, 2012 10:18 PM
Winston Heverly
Coldwell Banker Access Realty - South Macon, GA
GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA

I never understood the school thing. Both of my parents were teachers and I went to public school. With what is being taught today regardless where you go is bad and worse in my opinion. Further kids are lazy, not focused and most expect something handed to them. If kids want to learn they will learn, if they learn to party and do other things in won't matter how the school is rated.

Jun 07, 2012 10:22 PM
B Smith
Richmond, VA

This question is coming up more frequently in our market as fewer homes in good school districts are coming on the market in the lower end range. Good Topic! 

Jun 07, 2012 10:30 PM
Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA
Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD
301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

Ask my wife and she would choose a shack and live in a good school area. . than a mansion of a bad area.

I think I choose to commute. .

Jun 07, 2012 11:40 PM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Gabrielle

You make an excellent point and sometimes that decision can be very challenging to the customers to answer.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Jun 08, 2012 02:50 AM
Charles Stallions
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pensacola, FL
850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.

Generally speaking even with no kids a school can be a great way of choosing a home.

Jun 08, 2012 12:19 PM
Richard Iarossi
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Crofton, MD
Crofton MD Real Estate, Annapolis MD Real Estate

Gab,

Tough question for sure. Around here re-districting occurs frequently enough to cause problems as well.

Rich

Jun 08, 2012 12:22 PM
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Good morning Gabrielle hard decisions for sure and most people don't think about that when they buy.  Thanks for the post

Jun 08, 2012 08:59 PM
Carol Faaland-Kronmaier
Weichert, Realtors; Hillsborough - Hillsborough, NJ
PhD, e-PRO, Manville, Hillsborough, Somerset NJ

Gabrielle, This is a discussion I have frequently with home-buyers.  There is no easy answer, especially with the threat of redistricting.  Compromise on both sides of the debate may be the best solution, better not best school with a home that they would like if not love to live in.

Jun 08, 2012 10:19 PM