Do Your Homework and Learn About your North Shore Neighborhood

When looking for a new home in Glenview or on the North Shore, be sure that perfect house you saw doesn't have some not-so-perfect features. Consider the following: 

1. Lighting: Are there street lights that may wind up shining directly into your bedroom window? Or is the street so dark at night that you'll feel unsafe? 
2. Commuting: Take a ride from the prospective house to your place of employment. Is it a longer commute that you anticipated? Are there trouble spots where you may wind up sitting in traffic for a half hour every afternoon?
3. Sex Offenders: Check out The National Sex Offender Public Website or KlaasKids to see if there are any sex offenders living in the neighborhood. 
4. Area Crime: Go online or to the local police department and find out how much crime is in the neighborhood. A red flag may be houses with a lot of nightly visitors.  
5. Schools: If possible, go to a PTA meeting at the school where your kids will be attending. Talk to other parents to find out what's really going on there. You can usually go online to get district information as well. 
6. Site Survey: Although most closings do this automatically, if your state doesn't require a title search, have it done anyway. Then buy updated title insurance just in case something was missed. 
7. Community Associations: While areas in Glenview or Wilmette with community associations may offer a better-kept neighborhood, are the trade-offs worth it? There may be dues to pay and certain restrictions you may not like. Can you have a fence or a clothesline? Are there child or pet restrictions? What about washing your car in the driveway? Take a look at the rules and regulations when deciding to buy. 
8. Noise Pollution: Talk to neighbors who've lived in the neighborhood awhile to see if there are train whistles, barking dogs, or loud cars driving through, especially at night or in the wee hours of the morning when the whole family is trying to sleep.

You may want to take a discreet drive through the neighborhood you're thinking of buying into in the late evening or early morning hours to see what's going on there. It's always best to do your homework and know what you're getting yourself into before signing any contracts.

Let Marla Schneider and her team help you check out the neighborhoods in Glenview, Northbrook, the North Shore and Wilmette.