Know Your Neighbors Before You Buy
Sellers are often heard to say: “the neighbors are friendly here”. More or less we don’t give any importance to that remark. But all of your joy and excitements can vanish away as soon as you find your neighbor next door is noisy or disruptive. Once you take the bait, there is no way out. So, you must do an independent homework beforehand to be sure that you are not moving into the wrong side of the town.
From your realtor you can get information about the neighborhood and nearby amenities; he or she should also be able to give you an ideal on the demographic of the area. It could be that you are willing to live beside young families; or else you are looking for a complex with a fewer tenants. The realtor should also gather relevant information on any future plan for construction of highways and other infrastructure that can disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in your neighborhood. Even if it may seem a little time consuming, you should not turn a blind eye to this end, because: it would be harder for you to relocate once you moved in for good.
You can find relevant websites online to know about some complexes or neighborhoods; they will give you an idea and information about the neighborhood in concern. To verify what you have known so far, check out the local police website to see the overall crime statistics and traffic situation. If possible, visit the police station and ask for analysis of the data provided online. This is to make sure that you are not buying where the crime rate is high, like in many exclusive neighborhoods in big cities.
To take it further, you yourself can drive through the neighborhood during different times of the day. In this way you will exactly know about the neighborhood’s overall situation, which includes traffic and the atmosphere. Often you can stop by and ask people a few questions. Just engage them in a friendly conversation about their house – people love that very much.
If you have a family, then this neighborhood check is more than necessary. You can’t be dillydallying about this. In the long run, it will affect your lifestyle. Finding a neighborhood where the overall situation is peaceful and progressive will be convenient for your children’s upbringing. So, add this to your home buying do list right away.