Real Estate Home Buying Tips #3

January 24, 2007

Now that you know how much house you can afford and what you "must have" in your new home and what you "want" to have in that home, you are ready to select the neighborhood in which you would like to live.

While you can always make changes to the home itself, you can never change its location. Real Estate Agents have always put forth that the number 1 value factor is "Location, Location, Location". Cities have many desireable locations and some of an individual's needs and wants often determine that desireabilty. For instance: My children were swimmers and when I was selecting a new home, I put a compass on the high school and drew a .5 mile cirle. I wanted them to be able to walk to morning workouts and home after school. That is what created the desireability of the neighborhood where we purchased a home. For other home buyers desireability can be schools, freeway access, established neighborhoods, etc.

So, drive around through different neighborhoods. Notice how the yards are kept. Pay attention to the area's amenities. Make your list of your favorite neighborhoods and share that with your real estate agent. It will be a tremendous guide to the success of finding you the property that you would like.