Six Features to Look for in a Neighborhood
Schools: Schools are a natural priority for families with children, but even if you don’t have kids, buying in a well-rated school district can keep your home’s value strong. A recent analysis by Metrostudy, a property data analysis company, and school ratings site Niche.com found that home prices in counties with highly rated school districts were 25 percent higher than neighboring areas. Check out Niche.com and GreatSchools.org for school ratings and visit county school websites for information.
Crime rates: Sites such as CrimeRates and NeighborhoodScout offer crime info for neighborhoods. In addition, Homefacts is a comprehensive site with information about crime rates, schools, demographics, environmental hazards and more.
Walkability: While you can visit a community in person to see what’s around, Walkscore.com provides a numerical rating from 1 to 100 based on the ability to walk to run errands and do daily activities such as grocery shopping or visiting a library. The site includes maps to show what’s around a particular address.
Public transit options: NJ Transit provides features to help you find bus stops and Metro stations. You can also go to county websites for local bus services and commuter information.
Future development plans: Development plans can have a major impact on your home value, lifestyle and traffic conditions. You can also check on county websites for plans and zoning information.
Access to parks, recreation and health care: Your real estate agent can help you find nearby amenities and often sellers will include that information with their listing. You can also check out Google Maps and try the AroundMe app to search for parks, banks, hospitals and more.
Article Provided by: The Washington Post
Ana Moniz, ABR
Broker Associate
Lifetime Member of the NJAR™ Distinguished Sales Club
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
50 Broadway, Hillsdale, NJ 07642
cell- 201-247-6341 | office – (201) 930-8820 Ext. 441
e-fax- 201-781-6712 | www.AnaMonizRealEstate.com
https://www.anamonizrealestate.net/ | AnaMonizRealEstate@gmail.com