Buying a home or a community lifestyle?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Turn Key Real Estate 31RA0874656

 

 0As you search for that hard-to-find, special, first-time, or move-up home, is it all about the home or the neighborhood, or both? I believe the most crucial item for families with children or about to have children is the school system. Obviously, your budget comes into play, so you can only buy what is affordable in today’s higher interest rate environment. But do your research and find those school districts that have the highest percentage of children going on to higher education.

Another important thought that not everyone may contemplate is the lifestyle that one would like to have for themselves and their family in the town that one will live in. Specifically, what activities and cultural offerings and opportunities are available as part of your taxes?

As an example, if you are fortunate to live in Great Neck, it has a special Park District, with 21 active and passive parks. Every weekend music concerts occur from July through September as well as special Family Day events during July and October, with slides, bouncy houses, food vendors, and Long Island microbreweries bringing their handcrafted ales. Tuesday nights are concert nights in Ielpi Park on Grace Avenue, too, from July-September. Many other towns nearby like Manhasset, Port Washington, Roslyn, etc. have music venues during the summer months. Schedules are sent out to all Nassau County residents to enable everyone to participate in those events that occur in the local parks.

Are you looking for a community pool, tennis courts, tracks to run on, and an excellent library that offers educational and fun activities? If these features are important to you and your family, then one must ascertain which towns interest you as a buyer or renter and what they have to offer as far as those added value benefits that would make you want to move there.

Checking into the crime and safety of a local town will also provide perspective for your family on possible unwanted events in the future. Going online will provide excellent information to aid you in your decision-making. As many people are traveling and vacationing once again, it is still imperative to know that where you are living allows you the opportunity to participate in whatever your town has in ancillary activities, e.g., holiday events. It will be more beneficial to get your kids off their computers and cellphones to go outside in the fresh air and move their bodies.

All towns that I am aware of have activities for children. You need to check your town’s website and make sure you sign up to receive regular emails to be aware of all that is happening in and around your town throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties, or wherever you decide to move..

Does the town you are looking into have sufficient restaurants with available dining outside, and promenades during the summer that closes off certain streets for eating and entertainment? During the Pandemic, most towns, including New York City and its five boroughs, allowed sidewalk dining. It appears that many are continuing the practice as a more permanent benefit to enable the restaurant industry to survive and thrive and enable their patrons to be able to dine at al fresco.

It really isn’t about just the space that you will be living in but what else is being offered and available in the community to make your family’s life more fun, enjoyable, and entertaining in satisfying your maximum needs and wants.

To me, a house is not totally a home unless there is a component of involvement in the local community that will support its residents in creating, producing, and enhancing activities for a healthy and fun lifestyle.

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Comments (6)

Bill Salvatore - East Valley
Arizona Elite Properties - Chandler, AZ
Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net

Hi,

Welcome to the Rain. Enjoyed your blog page, and I added you as a friend. I would love the follow back. Bill

Oct 12, 2022 02:34 PM
Philip A. Raices

Hey Bill, thanks and I had already clicked on your link from your previous comment, so we are following each other.

Oct 14, 2022 10:25 AM
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

Great information, thanks for sharing.  I hope you have a great day.

Oct 13, 2022 02:14 AM
Philip A. Raices

Hey Rich, thanks!  How has your market progressed so far this year?

 

Oct 14, 2022 10:26 AM
Paddy Deighan MBA JD PhD
http://www.medicalandspaconsulting.com - Vail, CO
Paddy Deighan J.D. Ph.D

I often wonder if buyers consider such issues when they decide where to live!

Oct 13, 2022 10:11 PM
Philip A. Raices

Hey Paddy,  I always go through a qualifying "needs and wants" process, and the overwhelming majority are concerned with being able to reside in the best school district.  However, there are times when the available budget truly determines their affordability in finding those towns that work.  There are times when there is a correlation between the socioeconomic makeup of an area in relation to the school's test scores and the state and national ratings.  There needs to be more teachers (and higher pay) to motivate and educate those that many times slip through the cracks.  The education of today's students will be the makeup of tomorrow's society.  Our gov't needs to focus more on this because without greater education standards and test scores the future will not improve.  However, the family unit is also part of the equation and without proper guidance in our fragmented world and solid family ties, we will have greater challenges later on

Oct 14, 2022 10:35 AM
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

There are so many reasons a buyer chooses the location to live.  You captured many. I appreciate your wide variety of reasons!

Oct 16, 2022 09:42 AM
Philip A. Raices

Hi Diana,  Thank you for your comment.  However, inventory on Long Island is still extremely tight and we are hoping that current and future purchasers go through a trade-off process and do not continue to look for that perfect "everything" home or they will continue to rent or stay in their inlaws' domicile waiting for that "perfect place to call home."  Even those that want to move up don't want to give their much lower interest rate on their current home to move to a higher rate.

I am for the most part a very positive person, but I don't see the immediate future improving, and to be perfectly candid, see the excessive printing of our fiat currency coming back to bite us in the, you know where!  Hiking rates have been the only available solution in past economic inflationary situations, but this time we cannot buy ourselves out of it by printing more money!  Much more pain is upon us in 2023-2024!

Oct 20, 2022 08:43 AM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

Buyer must get "a feel" for the neighborhood, do some research and go from there.  This can be a challenge when buying in a city you've never lived in !  Still, it's wise to take your time and explore various areas

Oct 16, 2022 12:00 PM
Philip A. Raices
Turn Key Real Estate - Great Neck, NY
1 of the Most Knowledgeable Brokers on the Net!

GM Mary,

I agree but with the very limited inventory on Long Island, I have to assume that most purchasers know the area where they want to live as most are local purchasers and hopefully have done whatever necessary homework that they needed to do.  Our house market is still pretty strong here as long as sellers price accordingly and don't reach for the sky.  Our coop market has definitely slowed.  Interest rates have pushed many previously pre-qualified purchasers out of our market.  Lower prices must come first and then lower interest rates to turn our slowing market around. unfortunately, however, I see much more pain going forward in 2023-2024.

Oct 20, 2022 08:48 AM