By Mary Beth Eastman, for addressUSA
Location, location, location. It’s still as critical to making the right home-buying decision as the house itself. If you’re considering a new neighborhood but want to make sure it’s the right fit before moving in, this step-by-step guide can help. With addressUSA’s expertise, you’ll learn how to research and compare neighborhoods, and feel confident about your choice.
How to research a neighborhood before you buy
It’s easy to get caught up in floor plans and finishes when shopping for a home. But the perfect house isn’t perfect if it isn’t in the right neighborhood. A study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) 1 found that the quality of the neighborhood was the most vital factor for 59% of buyers.
So, before you purchase your next home, here’s how to research a prospective neighborhood.
Learn the basics
The first step is to get a general overview of the neighborhood. This includes things such as:
- Home prices and trends
- Local tax rates
- Crime rates
- School ratings
The stats for these criteria can give you an idea of the overall characteristics of the neighborhood. You can use this data to begin comparing different neighborhood options. It will also help you understand the potential resale value of your home.
A few sources to check out for community research include addressUSA, Great Schools.org2 and the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer3. AddressUSA also offers detailed neighborhood guides that help you compare housing trends, local amenities and lifestyle data.
“You can type in any city name and find out what’s for sale and how the market is doing,” explained addressUSA president Paul Huntsman. “However, the bast way to get real-time info though is to reach out to chat with one of our agents in the community, at no obligation, and find out the full picture.”
Explore amenities and lifestyle
Next, consider what your lifestyle could look like if you lived there. What amenities would be nearby? That includes things like:
- Restaurants
- Sports and recreation
- Outdoor activities and natural features
- Entertainment
- Shopping
- Medical care
Consider things like walkability, parking or easily accessible public transportation. And don’t forget to think about the neighborhood in terms of how near or far you would be to major factors that are already a part of your life:
- Friends
- Family
- School
- Work
- Religious or cultural factors, such as your place of worship
Keep those in mind, especially your neighborhood in relation to your family and friends. NAR research also shows that 45% of buyers put proximity to friends and family at the top of their list.
Visit multiple times
Even with tons of data in hand, you’ll get the best idea of whether a neighborhood is a good fit for you by visiting in person. Pay attention to the physical features of the neighborhood. Walk around and notice what it’s like. Does it feel like someplace you could call home?
When you find a neighborhood you’re serious about, visit it several times at different hours. A place that feels lively at noon may be deserted at night, or vice versa. Compare weekends to weekdays to get a full picture of things like rush hour and daily life.
If you have time, stop by a local cafe or other type of gathering place. You might even strike up a conversation with someone; they could be your new neighbors, after all. Find out what they like about living there, and what they would change if they could. Use this information to compare this neighborhood with other ones you’re considering. You might discover new information about the neighborhood that can’t be found with an online search.
Key takeaways
Ultimately, researching a neighborhood before you buy is a foremost step for ensuring your new home suits your needs and lifestyle. Finding the right real estate agent is as easy as visiting addressUSA’s featured agents page. The experts there can make the entire process much easier, because they’ll already have insider knowledge about the area you intend to live in.
“Use the website to compare the stats and the homes across the country,” said Huntsman. “Then when you want to take a deep dive get our neighborhood experts to talk you through the details that matter to you.”
Your next home could be right around the corner. Visit addressusa.com to start exploring neighborhoods that are perfect for you.
Footnotes
1 National Association of Realtors. “Highlights From the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.” https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/highlights-from-the-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers#searchprocess.
2 Great Schools.org. https://www.greatschools.org/
3 FBI Crime Data Explorer. https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
