I recently talked to a woman who was unhappy because her house wasn’t in the school district she thought it was in when she bought it. When she bought the home, her real estate agent told her it was in one particular school district, when it actually was not. The community where she lives is served by two school districts, and she ended up in the one she did not want for her children. She did not verify the information before she purchased, and the information slipped by her at closing.
If you are purchasing a home, you should double-check the school district information. You can look at the appraisal district tax records to see which school district receives taxes from the property. While the MLS information is usually correct, sometimes it is not. It is the responsibility of the buyer to make sure the information provided is right. Our local MLS puts up a disclaimer stating, “School information is subject to change. Buyers should independently verify and confirm availability.”
If you are working with a good, knowledgeable local Realtor, your Realtor should know where the dividing lines are between districts. Even so, you should be pro-active and double check on your own!
There is often some confusion about school zones within a district as well. Districts take a look at the populations within their schools each year, and if adjustments need to be made, they can, and do, re-zone certain areas to different schools. If you have your heart set on having your children in a specific school within the district, you should call the district and discuss their long-term plans for zoning to that school. The house you love that is zoned for your preferred school could possibly be rezoned to a different school in the future.
The old saying, “Buyer Beware”, certainly applies when it comes to school districts and school zones. Trust your local Realtor for assistance, but be pro-active and check it out yourself!
If you have a good Realtor, he/she will provide the information you need, but they will also encourage you to make some phone calls for your own peace of mind.
Happy House Hunting!
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