Smart House Search Tips: How to Choose a Neighborhood

Your dream neighborhood may seem like a easy choice, location, location, location is everything.  Right?  It may not be that easy.  Location is not everything when you’re searching for a home.  Your dream neighborhood maybe easy to pick, but once you factor in budget, non-negotiable home features, and proximity to the things you can’t live without, it may be less obvious where you should live.

When it comes to searching for a new neighborhood, here’s what you need to know.

1. Property taxes - taxes can play a huge role in your overall cost of living. 

2. Safety and crime - As with all homebuying decisions, determining what level of crime you feel safe with is all part of the process of choosing a neighborhood.

3. Neighborhood features - School zones come to mind when thinking of location, especially if you have children (or plan to have them soon). If schools are important to you, evaluate the schools in a neighborhood and which homes fall into which district.  Additionally, there may be community centers or parks that increase the value of the neighborhood.

4. Commute to work - How long does it take to commute for a neighborhood to your present place of work.  Not just morning, but after work too.  

5. Topography/Geography - Hate to say this in Houston, but are you looking in a flood prone area.