Shop For A Neighborhood, Not Just A House

When my husband got a job in Seattle, Washington, we looked at several suburbs to determine which would be the best for us. We saw some great houses in Bothell and liked the look of some of the Pinehurst homes. The biggest factor for me, however, was not the house but the neighborhood. How can you tell if you've chosen a safe place to live? What are the schools like? Are the parks any good? How is the overall sense of community?

There are some basic things you can look at to determine the feel of a prospective neighborhood.

1. Check the numbers. Ask the police about crime rates in your area. You can also find this information online. While you're there, check the national sex offender registry and make sure you don't have any unsavory characters living down the street. The city council will have information about the schools. This is important to look at even if you don't have any children, because a good school is usually an indication of rising property values and invested parents.

2. Do a little housing detective work. Look at a local paper and ask people on the street how they feel about the neighborhood. We read some Pinehurst homes blog contributors, which gave us a peek into the kind of people that lived there and how they felt about the community. Your realtor can also give you a good sense of the market. If houses have been sitting for a long time, the neighborhood might not be a popular one. Also, find out how many rentals are in the area. People generally don't respect a rental as much as they would their own house. On the flip side, evidence of remodeling projects indicates that the residents care about their property and are planning to stay for awhile.

3. Take a look at the local businesses. Are there new developments? Are grocery stores and other conveniences nearby? How well are the properties maintained? If there are a lot of shopping centers and new stores opening up, that's a good sign that business owners think they'll do well in that area. Closed or few businesses, on the other hand, are not what you want to find. What's the status of the local transportation system? Are they safe and well-used?

4. Stop by the area during different times of the week. Be especially sure to drive by on a weekend. Are people outside mowing the lawn and playing games with their families or is there hardly a presence at all? Come back at night. Are there any loud parties or music? That's not the kind of thing you want to be surprised with the first night in your new home.

Do your homework before you buy a home. You won't regret it.