Admin

What to look for when buying.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Hometown

1. A well-groomed neighborhood:Well-maintained homes and landscaping have a positive effect on property values in that community. By caring for the appearance of their homes, residents help to create a more aesthetically pleasing environment that future real-estate hunters will want to buy into. So when you're eyeing a home, make sure to take a drive through the entire neighborhood. Take note of how the neighbors care for their homes, lawns and gardens. 

2. Good schools:Given the importance of education, communities located within strong school districts tend to support higher home prices. Parents, after all, will want to move into the communities with the best educational opportunities. The school district is important in terms of increasing demand for that particular area. Would-be homebuyers can determine the strength of a local school system by accessing online information from local governments or community Web sites.

3. Low crime: Low crime rates also support strong home values. Since nobody wants to live in a neighborhood where they feel unsafe, crime limits housing demand in a given community. As a result, it's important to obtain crime statistics for the neighborhood you're considering moving into. The best way to do that is to contact the local police department. The police department is a public utility take advantage of its information. Most communities have a public information officer that is dedicated to interacting with the public. By contacting this office, home shoppers can get their hands on all the information they'll need to determine a community's level of safety.

4. Close to public transportation:Proximity to public transportation or commuter rail can also help boost home values. In large cities, Americans are increasingly willing to pay a premium for properties that allow them to be less dependent on cars. Access to bus lines and commuter rail lines are of huge value. 

5. Favorable population trends:It's also important to look at the population trends in the city you're considering moving to. You want to see a track record of steady population growth, which supports growing demand for housing, which will in turn support rising home values. Such data can be found online at the U.S. Census Bureau, or through local county or township Web sites.

6. Healthy employment landscape:Employment plays a key role in population trends, as workers migrate to locations where they can find jobs. Thus, a healthy employment outlook is a key component of a strong housing market. Home shoppers can obtain economic data from the local government or chamber of commerce. Pay special attention to the unemployment trends and find out if any new companies are slated to move into - or out of - the area. A lot of communities have been trying to attract the sort of economically insensitive industries like biotech and pharmaceutical companies. If you've got an area where that kind of business is being brought in - through tax incentives or other efforts - that would be a positive for your local area.

Click Here to visit my website!!!

Show All Comments Sort:
Anthony Stokes-Pereira /REALTOR
LPT Realty - Orlando, FL
LPT Realty

Hi Mark;

Great Post and I thank you for sharing. Good Luck!

Feb 04, 2009 11:49 AM