Choosing Your Neighborhood When You Buy
When choosing a house that will be your home for many, many years the location should be one of your highest priorities. Many mediocre houses can become great homes because of the neighborhood. Very few great houses can become great homes in inadequate locations:
Choosing Your Neighborhood When You Buy
Not too long ago, my wife received a call from o
ne of our neighbors. The neighbor was asking Marilyn to come over immediately, as she had cut herself and needed help.
She wanted to know first though ... could Marilyn see blood, apply a butterfly, and not pass out? My wife could, so she ran over and assisted.
This incident got me thinking. Neighbors ... and neighborhoods are important. They can determine (to a large extent) the quality of our lives. In small and big ways ... and as we found out, even in some very unexpected ways.
Our family has always been blessed with great neighbors in each of the homes we've owned. In fact, when we lived in our first home in Mokena, we, and each surrounding neighbor, jokingly said if one of us moved, we all did.
There was a real bond forged between us there. We each realized how fortunate we were to have each other ... and what a unique and wonderful blend of neighbors we were.
Although each family eventually went their own way, the sentiment we held during that time is strong proof ...
The act of choosing a home shouldn't be taken lightly. The criteria used to make a choice of neighborhood needs to go way beyond that of home design and price.
The old adage regarding the choice of a home remains true for so many reasons: It's still ... location, location, location.
So what criteria regarding a neighborhood should be sought and considered prior to signing a Contract on a home purchase?
I think the answer lies in what you as a Buyer considers personally important to the quality of your life. What you depend on most.
Consider: What location best suits and supports your lifestyle? What will your proximity be to the business services you use most often? How close or accessible will you be to all those things that matter most?
What else might be considered?
- Parks
- Grocery/Shopping
- Libraries
- Doctors/Hospitals
- Schools/School Districts
- Churches
- Ages of neighborhood population
- Transportation/Commuting/Proximity to commuting/highways
- Proximity to their employment
- Taxing bodies/Taxes
- Restaurants Entertainment/Activities/Theaters
- Community Comprehensive Planning (something too often overlooked)
- Community Services - Police, Fire, Water, Sewer, etc.
- Location within the neighborhood, i.e. corner lot, busy streets, surrounding properties
- Crime rates
- Population/Density
- Noise Levels of Area
- Odors or Air Contaminants
- More ...
Now my wife will tell you, there are pros and cons to living with a LO that was also a Real Estate Appraiser.
After our boys were gone and out on their own, we decided to downsize from our family's large home. We looked way beyond any potential new purchase's appearance and price point. Marilyn will confirm, there was a long list of items considered with each potential prospect.
Our plans then (and still are) to remain in our new home for the long term. But future circumstances could always arise to change that.
Life can be surprising and a bit fickle. All Buyers should keep that fact in mind. View each potential purchase with a future Seller's eye.
Also remember: You're not just buying a house. You're buying a neighborhood too.
Hopefully, a neighborhood filled with neighbors so caring that they can be called upon in a moment's notice to offer a cup of sugar ... or help to place a butterfly on a friendly hand after an emergency ...
* Receive neighborly mortgage advice and service when buying your new home in the perfect Chicagoland, IL, or Wisconsin neighborhood. (Or Refinancing). Contact me today!
I can be easily found at:
Direct: 815.524.2280
Cell/Text: 708.921.6331
eFax: 1.815.524.2281
Gene Mundt
Mortgage Originator - NMLS #216987
IL Lic. #0006220 - WI License
American Portfolio Mortgage Corp.
NMLS #175656
Gene Mundt, Mortgage Originator, 37+ years of #mortgage experience, will offer you exemplary mortgage service and advice when seeking: #Conventional, #FHA, #VA, #Jumbo, #USDA, and Portfolio Loans in #Chicago and the greater Chicagoland region, including: The #Lincoln-Way Area, #Will County, (#New Lenox, #Frankfort, #Mokena, #Manhattan, #Joliet, #Shorewood, #Crest Hill, #Plainfield, #Bolingbrook, #Romeoville, #Naperville, #Wilmington, #Peotone, etc.), #DuPage County, the City of Chicago, #Cook County, and elsewhere within IL and Wisconsin.
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