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Buyer Location Checklist
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Area amenities. Are there nearby parks and open spaces or chic shops and trendy restaurants? How about libraries, grocery stores, and fitness centers (or a community center with all of the above)? The best way to find out is to get out of the car, walk around, and ask the locals what they like and don't like about the area. Or talk to the locals in Zillow's Neighborhood Pages. (Find your state here, then navigate to the city and neighborhood.)
Community services. Go to City Hall and inquire about taxes, traffic, and major construction projects. Reading the local paper - many are available online - is also a good way to get a sense of the community and its current affairs. You can also read about local news in the Discussions section in Zillow's Neighborhood Pages. (Find your state here, then navigate to the city and neighborhood.)
Local transportation. If you're going to be car-free, check out the local bus or subway system. If you'll use a car, will you be driving residential streets or busy arterials, or worse, spend hours sitting in traffic, seething at a sea of brake lights and the overloaded road system? Drive around - and not just on the weekend while you're looking at houses.
Commute times. Definitely drive your route during rush hour. Few things in life are more frustrating than finding out that a 15-mile commute to work takes an hour, each way, five days a week. Drive it a few times - for a true test, nothing beats 5 p.m. on a rainy Friday - and make sure your commute doesn't put you on the fast track to road rage.
Proximity to frequented locations. Get a map of the city and put a dot on the places you will frequent: Work, Shopping, Schools, etc... You may be able to purchase a home outside of the city or farther away for less than one that would be very close, but gas prices are not going to be getting any cheaper. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, and gas costs 3.00 per gallon, for every 10 miles you drive per day commuting, you could finance another $5,500 for 30 years at 7%. Maybe that more expensive house closer-in could be a better deal after all.
Economic stability. Generally speaking, a healthy mix of residential neighborhoods (property taxes) and businesses (sales and payroll taxes) sets the stage for vibrant, well-funded communities. Conversely, boarded-up storefronts, a major employer with an uncertain future, and/or forests of For Sale signs are all warning signs of a community in decline. Cities with colleges and government industries are stable.
Crime rates. Love the house, like the local amenities ... but would you feel safe walking around at night? The federal government and most state and local governments keep statistics on the full range of illicit activities. If you're in the area, stop by the police station; if not, there are plenty of resources online.
Local schools. Even if you don't have children, this may be the single most important marker of a good neighborhood. That's because most homeowners do have kids, which means they're concerned about low crime, safe streets, and the other amenities that help good neighborhoods stay that way. Find out about test scores, class sizes, school construction - either online or on-site - and you'll learn quite a bit about the surrounding neighborhood. Want to hear what the locals have to say? Navigate to the Neighborhood Page for the area, and ask the neighbors what they think.
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