1. Scout Out Schools
If buying your first home coincides with plans for starting or raising a family, you’re not alone. Since this is the case for so many people, the school district where the home is located is one of the top factors in figuring out an ideal neighborhood.
Schools have such a big impact on values that homes near top-scoring schools can cost dramatically more than homes located nearby but in an underperforming district.
But how do you find out where the top schools are?
- Movoto listings feature information on nearby schools built right into the page. Check out a snippet of our San Francisco school data below to see what we mean. You can also search details for schools by city or by school district.
- Most school staff or PTAs are happy to provide tours and chat with prospective parents about what their programs have to offer.
- Sites like Greatschools.org profile public, charter, and private schools across the country and give them ratings based on test scores.
2. Safety in Numbers
Feeling safe in your home and neighborhood is probably one of your top priorities. Luckily, there are many ways to evaluate the safety of a neighborhood.
If you’re new to the area:
- Visit the neighborhood and try to spend the night—quiet and calm areas by day can quickly transform into rowdy places at rush hour and nightfall
- While you’re walking around, ask a few residents how they feel about the neighborhood and if they have any concerns. Most people are happy to share their feelings, good or bad, about the place they call home.
If you’re already in the area:
- Think about things you’ve taken for granted before that might matter to you in the future.
- Is there a history of theft from cars parked at the local train station’s lot? If your job changes and you have to start taking the train, this might now be a factor for you.
- Is there a local park that gets sketchy towards sundown? If you plan to have kids, and where they’ll play might not always be safe, that’s a new factor as well.
To access this kind of information, check sites like neighborhoodscout.com to search crime rates by address.
If you aren’t able to visit in person:
- Read up on the local news in the area to get an idea of what’s going on there.
- Sign up to receive the local police blotter, which is sent by email or posted online in many communities to give you a sense of the types and frequencies of crimes being committed in the area.
If you’re particularly concerned about child predators, sites like familywatchdog.us uses information from each state’s sex offender registry to see if the neighborhood has any registered offenders living nearby. You can also sign up to get an email if a sex offender moves into the area.
3. This ‘Hood Was Made for Walking
Less than a decade ago, no one talked about “walkability” when searching for a home. But times have changed and now being able to get to work, restaurants, and entertainment without a car has become a lot more important, especially to younger home buyers.
According to a recent survey by Transportation for America, a smart-transit advocacy group, four out of five millennials say they want to live in places where they have a variety of transit options to get to jobs, school, or daily needs. Three-quarters say it’s likely they’ll live in a place where they don’t need a car to get around.
If you’re new to the area, taking a walking tour and making notes of nearby stores will help you get to know your new ‘hood.
You can also look right at a listing on Movoto to see nearby points of interests like grocery stores, public transit, banks, libraries, and restaurants/cafes.
Here’s just a few examples of almost 50 points of interest on this listing in San Francisco.
You can also try sites like Walkscore.com, which rank cities and neighborhoods by walkability, bikeability, and access to public transit options to see how your new place stacks up.
4. Know Your Surroundings
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to take note of what kinds of places in particular are located on your street or in your neighborhood.
Maybe you’ve rented in the area for a while and know it like the back of your hand—but remember, if your lifestyle changes when you move into a new home (new job, starting a family), all those familiar things could change.
Think about things you’ve taken for granted before that might add up to be major annoyances over time:
- Are the streets nearby jammed with rush hour traffic? That wouldn’t be fun when you have to stop at the daycare after work to pick up your future child.
- Is there a local church that brings noisy crowds early Sunday mornings?
- Are you near train tracks or a fire department that could be noisy when you’re trying to sleep?
You might not have cared about crowded roads before if you’ve always taken the train to work, but as your lifestyle changes, chances are you’re commuting habits will, too.
5. All About Amenities
These little “extras” are very often the deciding factors in choosing one neighborhood over another.
Whether or not you’re new to the area, already live there, or aren’t able to visit in person, the best bet here is to use online resources.
If green space is important to you…
- Check out parkscore.tpl.org, which ranks the 60 largest cities in the country and their park systems (FYI, Minneapolis is #1)
If you need a Michelin-quality restaurant in the neighborhood…
- Search foodie sites like Yelp, Urbanspoon and Chowhound for restaurant reviews and epicurean trends in the area.
Basically, no matter the amenity, there’s probably a website out there that can help you see how your ‘hood stacks up.
6. Invest in the Best
A house may be the place you live, but it’s also one of the biggest investments most people make. For that reason, everyone wants to know that their home will appreciate in value over the long term.
The factors we’ve discussed above—schools, safety, walkability and amenities—are all likely to contribute to appreciation. But the best way to get an in-the-know take is to talk to a local real estate agent, who will have the best sense of appreciation trends in the areas you are considering.
Search for a real estate agent, who are all experts in their local markets, and you’ll be one step closer to making your dream neighborhood a reality.
Emily Landes is a writer and editor who is obsessed with all things real estate. She also has a DIY problem that she blogs about at pritical.com.
