One of the biggest milestones in life comes when there is a need to relocate. Women, particularly those with families, find this a necessity in order to accommodate big changes and/or achievements. A career move, furthering education, and a new baby are some of the many reasons anyone may need a new place to stay.
Fortunately, searching for a new home is not as daunting as it used to be. Whether you are renting or buying a new home, there are a number of online tools that allow you to conduct in-depth research. In many cases you can virtually tour a house, and its corresponding neighborhood, before you ever set foot in it. Quality research, however, still requires onsite observation. It pays to know exactly what you are looking for when attempting to compare neighborhood options.
How to Choose The Right Sarasota Neighborhood For Your Family: Use Our Tool To Help Compare Options
How to Choose the Right Neighborhood for your Family: Use Our Tool To Help Compare Options
Use our simple (2 minutes) scorecard tool in order to easily quantify which house / neighborhood is right for you.
Choosing Right Neighborhood: Comparing House Options
One of the very first and wisest moves is to compare house options in the various neighborhoods of choice. This starts with knowing your budget. If you are renting, what is your expected monthly expense? Do you anticipate the rent price to include utilities or are they separate from one another? What are the down payment costs? These are simple but effective questions you can use to determine what you can afford.
If you are buying a home, comparing house options start with the price you want for a home. Your plan is to live there as long as you can. So, you would want to find a home that increases in overall value. The neighborhood surrounding a home plays a pivotal role in its value. When comparing homes, it is good to check the pricing of every one you are interested in and the homes surrounding it. Additionally, you will want to consider taxes Prices such as these can be indicative of the overall quality of the neighborhood.
In short, when you compare neighborhood options, be sure you have determined that you can afford to live there.
Choosing Right Neighborhood: Safety Matters
When you compare house options, considering safety is an absolute must when selecting a neighborhood. No one wants to live in a crime ridden area. So research crimes rates in the neighborhood you are interested in. Do not forget to consider 'white collar' crimes. They can have just as much of an impact as all the other ones.
Whenever you go to physically inspect a potential home, be sure to observer traffic in the streets. Good neighborhoods have low to no crime rates. The best neighborhood for families also have little in and out traffic or relatively slow speed limits. This has to be considered if you have children, are a frequent outdoor runner, have dogs, or conduct any other activity that may keep you near the streets.
What is the Neighborhood 'Attitude'?
After considering costs and safety, ask yourself what is the overall 'attitude' of the neighborhood. Does the area have a homeowners association (HOA)? There is both good and bad in being subjected to an HOA. However, these exists to help keep overall value and quality at optimum levels. Check into HOA requirements if a neighborhood you are interested in is subject to one.
You may also want to determine how interactive your neighbors are. Are they outgoing and highly involved in the community or is it quiet, with everyone mostly keeping to themselves? Your personal quality of living does include which of these two types of atmospheres you want to live in. You may want to be totally involved or have complete privacy. If possible, go to the neighborhood, at various times of the day, to observe the mood. This may include casually speaking to residents.
Recreation Options
Not many consider the recreation options that are within walking distance. Yet, these are worth having nearby when raising a family; especially and active one. Some families do not have ability to drive to park, a local YMCA or gym. Having recreation opportunities close-by is safer and helps keep boredom to a minimum.
Consideration of nightly recreations should also apply. Many nice neighborhoods have restaurants, bar and grills, taverns, nightclubs, dance studios and others businesses nearby that operate after dark. Nightly patronage to these business can be loud and boisterous. It may not be suitable to raise a family in these areas. This may also be an issue if you work from home.
Commuting to Work and School
Driving, biking, and ride-sharing makes it easier to have jobs, or go to school, farther away from home. The longer these distances are, however, the less time there is for personal needs, family, errands, etc... Also, safety becomes an even greater issue the farther you or a loved has to travel away from home.
Generally, the closer your neighborhood is to work and/or school the better of you will be. When researching a potential new residence, several questions should be asked. First, Is any of your commute within a comfortable walking distance? If so, is the walk there and back safe enough to attempt. If you have children, are they able to walk to school (or the nearest bus stop)? If so, what is the traffic like along the way?
Questions like these help you determine if the neighborhood is good fit for you and your family's daily travel requirements. While exceptions can be made, the best neighborhood for families to live in, ultimately, give you the most of what you want.
Choosing Right Neighborhood: Comparing House Options
One of the very first and wisest moves is to compare house options in the various neighborhoods of choice. This starts with knowing your budget. If you are renting, what is your expected monthly expense? Do you anticipate the rent price to include utilities or are they separate from one another? What are the down payment costs? These are simple but effective questions you can use to determine what you can afford.
If you are buying a home, comparing house options start with the price you want for a home. Your plan is to live there as long as you can. So, you would want to find a home that increases in overall value. The neighborhood surrounding a home plays a pivotal role in its value. When comparing homes, it is good to check the pricing of every one you are interested in and the homes surrounding it. Additionally, you will want to consider taxes Prices such as these can be indicative of the overall quality of the neighborhood.
In short, when you compare neighborhood options, be sure you have determined that you can afford to live there.
Choosing Right Neighborhood: Safety Matters
When you compare house options, considering safety is an absolute must when selecting a neighborhood. No one wants to live in a crime ridden area. So research crimes rates in the neighborhood you are interested in. Do not forget to consider 'white collar' crimes. They can have just as much of an impact as all the other ones.
Whenever you go to physically inspect a potential home, be sure to observer traffic in the streets. Good neighborhoods have low to no crime rates. The best neighborhood for families also have little in and out traffic or relatively slow speed limits. This has to be considered if you have children, are a frequent outdoor runner, have dogs, or conduct any other activity that may keep you near the streets.
What is the Neighborhood 'Attitude'?
After considering costs and safety, ask yourself what is the overall 'attitude' of the neighborhood. Does the area have a homeowners association (HOA)? There is both good and bad in being subjected to an HOA. However, these exists to help keep overall value and quality at optimum levels. Check into HOA requirements if a neighborhood you are interested in is subject to one.
You may also want to determine how interactive your neighbors are. Are they outgoing and highly involved in the community or is it quiet, with everyone mostly keeping to themselves? Your personal quality of living does include which of these two types of atmospheres you want to live in. You may want to be totally involved or have complete privacy. If possible, go to the neighborhood, at various times of the day, to observe the mood. This may include casually speaking to residents.
Recreation Options
Not many consider the recreation options that are within walking distance. Yet, these are worth having nearby when raising a family; especially and active one. Some families do not have ability to drive to park, a local YMCA or gym. Having recreation opportunities close-by is safer and helps keep boredom to a minimum.
Consideration of nightly recreations should also apply. Many nice neighborhoods have restaurants, bar and grills, taverns, nightclubs, dance studios and others businesses nearby that operate after dark. Nightly patronage to these business can be loud and boisterous. It may not be suitable to raise a family in these areas. This may also be an issue if you work from home.
Commuting to Work and School
Driving, biking, and ride-sharing makes it easier to have jobs, or go to school, farther away from home. The longer these distances are, however, the less time there is for personal needs, family, errands, etc... Also, safety becomes an even greater issue the farther you or a loved has to travel away from home.
Generally, the closer your neighborhood is to work and/or school the better of you will be. When researching a potential new residence, several questions should be asked. First, Is any of your commute within a comfortable walking distance? If so, is the walk there and back safe enough to attempt. If you have children, are they able to walk to school (or the nearest bus stop)? If so, what is the traffic like along the way?
Questions like these help you determine if the neighborhood is good fit for you and your family's daily travel requirements. While exceptions can be made, the best neighborhood for families to live in, ultimately, give you the most of what you want.
Use our simple (2 minutes) scorecard tool in order to easily quantify which house / neighborhood is right for you.