 "Putting Together the Pieces:
a Primer on Investing in Your New Home
Step 4: Selecting and Viewing Properties
How to Buy a Great House
You've thought about what you are looking for in your next home. Now you need to think about the areas you are interested in. There are many factors to consider when selecting a neighborhood that is right for you. Below are just a few of the many factors -- you may think of others that are important to you. Neighborhoods have characteristic personalities designed to best suit single people, growing families, two-career couples, or retirees.
SCOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
It is important that you scout the neighborhood in person. You live in more than your house.
• Talk to people who live there.
• Drive through the entire area at different times of the day, during the week and on weekends.
• Look carefully at how well other homes in the area are being maintained; are they painted, are the yards well cared for; are parked cars in good condition, etc.
NEIGHBORHOOD FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
• Look for things like access to major thoroughfares, highways, and shopping.
• Listen for noise created by commerce, roads, railways, public areas, schools, etc.
• Smell the air for adjacent commerce or agriculture.
• Check with local civic, police, fire, and school officials to find information about the area.
• Research things like soil and water.
• Look at traffic patterns around the area during different times of the day and drive from the area to work.
• Find out if the neighborhood is near parks, churches, recreation centers, shopping, theaters, restaurants, public transportation, schools, etc.
• Find out if the neighborhood belongs to a Homeowner’s Association.
How to View Homes
Now you know the type of home and neighborhoods that meet your needs and desires. It's time for us to go out and personally visit these homes. When viewing potential homes, it can quickly get overwhelming; the more you see at one time, the less you remember about them individually. That is why it is very important that each home you visit is compared to the same standard.
THINGS TO CONSIDER AT EACH PROPERTY WE SEE:
Property-
• View
• Lot Size
• Landscaping
• Square Footage
Interior-
• Number of Bedrooms
• Number of Bathrooms
• Living Room
• Kitchen
• Dining Room
• Family Room
• Study
• Fireplace(s)
• Openness of Home
• General Interior Condition
Exterior-
• Foundation
• Roof
• Architectural Style
• Deck/Patio
• Swimming Pool
• Garage
• General Exterior Condition
Location-
• Convenience to Work
• Convenience to Shopping
• Convenience to Schools
• Convenience to Day Care
• Nearby Recreational Facilities
• General Appearance of Houses in the Area
• House Value Relative to the Area
We have a convenient checklist available that you can take to each property. It has room for notes plus space to compare against your 5 'Must-Haves.' Just click "Contact Us" at the top of this page and we'll send it out to you.
Step 3 Index Step 5
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