Buying the house itself is only part of home buying. When you buy a new home, you choose a brand new place to live. In some cases, that place might be unfamiliar or far away from where you lived before. So, it's important to keep the local area in mind during your search. But how can you determine whether a neighborhood is right for you? Here are some basic questions to ask to learn more about your new neighborhood:
It's quicker than ever to find an area's crime statistics on the internet or through local law enforcement, but that will only tell you so much. When trying to determine how safe a neighborhood might be, you can ask questions like:
These are only a few of the details to consider, but a great place to begin when trying to learn about neighborhood safety. If possible, try visiting your new neighborhood a few times to get an in-person feel of the area.
If you have children in your household or are planning to in the future, school districts will make a big difference. The quality and choices of schools nearby is a great thing to research to see where your new neighborhood would fit among the options. Try comparing statistics like dropout rates, test scores and reviews from both parents and students.
If you're interested in adult education or specialist training, check to see what options your new neighborhood provides. While you won't be restricted by districts in the same way as primary schools, ease of access can make a significant difference in your education and overall quality of life.
These are only a few things to keep in mind when researching a potential new neighborhood. The more you can learn about an area before you move, the more likely you are to feel at-home.
There are many qualities and skills that go into being an excellent real estate professional - integrity, in-depth community and market knowledge, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills and a high-quality professional network, all of which are hallmarks of how I work.
That said, in my experience as a real estate professional, I've also found that providing the very best service is essentially about putting my clients first. This means keeping myself accessible, being a good listener as well as a good communicator, and responding quickly to your needs.
This "client first" philosophy has always been my approach and it requires me to continually improve my skills and ways of doing business. In addition, I've found that the latest technologies are enabling me to do everything I've always done, only much more quickly and efficiently. They've also helped me to extend the range of services I provide to my clients.
