How important are school zones when purchasing your home?

Profile picture for kimreynolds01
I know school zones are important for many buyers.  On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest importance, how important are school zones to you?
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June 05 2011 - Murfreesboro

Replies (15)

Profile picture for socalrea
To me, personally, school zones rank 7 out of 10 in importance. The reason I rank it so high, despite not yet having kids, is that school zones are highly correlated to other neighborhood characteristics, i.e. good schools are found in good neighborhoods.

Some other things to consider:

If you DON'T HAVE KIDS, and your'e buying property as an investment, or temporarily (planning to move within 10 years), then school zones don't matter as much. You'll be buying and selling within the same school zone condition, so that variable is a wash.

i.e. CASE OF GOOD SCHOOL ZONE: you pay premium for home, but then you sell at the same premium (all other things equal)

CASE OF BAD SCHOOL ZONE: you buy home at discount, but then sell at same discount (all other things equal)  
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June 06 2011
Profile picture for Pasadenan
--> 0 (zero).

1) The quality of the school districts is measured entirely wrong and is not even a measure of teacher or school performance, but is a measure of the economic status of the families whose students attend those schools.

2) The upper income families don't attend the government schools anyway, for multiple reasons.

3) The government (U.S. department of Education) has very little clue how to teach or what needs to be taught, and by insisting on a bell shaped performance distribution is preparing more people for menial labor across the nation than anything else.  It is a complete waste of tax payer money and requires complete reform.
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June 06 2011
Profile picture for the_country_hick
It depends on age and life condition. As some simple examples...

In your 20's it could be very important as I am planning on getting married and having kids and/or I have young kids to think about. I want my kids to succeed so a better school system is a big plus.

At age 45 the kids are grown and out of school or perhaps in college. I am planning on retiring where I buy so the schools do not matter to me at all.

At age 62, 65, or 67 I am just ready to retire. Unless I got stuck with my childrens kids and have to have them live with me schools are the last thing on my mind. I want low taxes. if a better school system has higher taxes it is a bad choice as my retirement funds are very limited.

At any age if I am buying to resell the school ratings could suggest general resale rates in that area compared to others. Then again school systems that are bad get better and schools that are good go downhill.
However, buying to resell at a profit is not a game to play as it often goes badly just ask anyone who bought in 2006.
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June 06 2011
Profile picture for Mom2NAC
SO IMPORTANT.  #1 for me.  My son is starting kinder next year, and I am considering moving to get him into a better school.
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June 06 2011
Profile picture for NelsonHomesHR
A potential buyer has to determine how important a school zone ranking is. It's that simple. If a buyer has no children, school zone will matter much less than it would to a family with three children.

Ive seen families determine which house they wanted to purchase based, nearly entirely, on the school zone.

It all depends on making sure, as an agent, that your buyer gets what he/she wants!
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November 10 2011
Profile picture for sunnyview
If you are buying a family home, schools are very important. You need to look at the scores, the local tax base and the rating for each local school before you buy.

The two main reasons that families that I know have sold when staying in the same area is not enough bedrooms and wanting a better local school. You can always have kids share a bedroom, but you're stuck if you choose the wrong school area unless you sell or pay for private school.
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November 10 2011
Profile picture for TopNJAgent
All depends on the priorities of my buyer - but generally, I would say that it ranks an 8 or above.  Even for those that do not have children, buyers recognize the importance of school quality to resale. I am fortunate that a number of communtiies in my area of focus have excellent schools.
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November 10 2011
Profile picture for David Stewart
Here in the New Orleans area I think school zones are the most important thing under flood zones when purchasing a home.  Kids are no kids school districts are still important for resale value. 
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December 22 2011
Profile picture for NinaHarris

As a return on investment, I would rate it as a 10.  Yes you will pay more for property and taxes in a good school district, but when it's time to sell your home will move faster provided it's price at market value.  Due to the competitive environment that we live in, more and more parents of young children are most concerned with their children's education and they are seeking out specific school districts in the area that I service. 

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December 22 2011
Profile picture for sryan1980
For buyers with children, school zones are at least an 8, if not higher. Many people will move to a certain area solely to make their children eligible to attend a highly-regarded school.
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December 23 2011
Profile picture for EllieFlower
I think they are VERY important - maybe a 9.  To me your house is just a tool to build a strong family.  So without a safe neighborhood with great schools, you might as well just rent.
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January 02
In our local market, school zones rank a 7-9 in importance for most buyers, even if they intend to send their children to private schools. Williamson County has outstanding public schools and its a big resale factor.
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January 16
Profile picture for Wes Black
If you have kids or expect kids, schools are very important and should be considered heavily in your choice of housing.
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January 17
VERY important = 9. Towns in NJ with better schools have kept their home values far better than those with lower ranked schools. Here in NJ, schools are given letter grades with A being the lowest and I being the highest. The exact same home in a "G" district, for example, often will sell at a significantly higher price than one in an "E/F" district.
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January 22
Profile picture for ericschatz
In our area, schools are definitely one of the top or *the top* criteria for most anyone with children. People do searches by school districts more than by towns or zips.
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May 02
 
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