What to look for in your next property

Choosing a place to live can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of a lifetime. The best approach is to be prepared. What you want is critical and it is best you decide on your priorities before embarking. The following are a series of questions to get you to think about what you want to look for:

What do you want in a Community?

What is a must have and a nice to have?

Do you prefer an area that is urban, suburban, semi-rural, or rural? An area that is stable or growing? Will area construction be an impediment or acceptable?

What natural features are the most significant? Woods? Hills? Flat land? River? Ocean shore? Man-made lakes? Streams and ponds?

How do you commute to work? Do you walk? Drive? Car pool? Taxi? Bus? Train? How far must you travel and how long does it take morning and evening?

Where do you do your shopping? Central commercial districts? Shopping malls? Supermarket shopping clusters?

Community shops or home delivery? Imagine a list of typical stops in one week . . . how many miles and how much time would visiting the entire list require. Do you want greater convenience?

What types of schools does your family attend now? What facilities will you require in the next few years? Are there any special needs or plans?

What does the area offer for recreation and entertainment? Music? Movies and live stage? Sports arenas? Museums? Nightlife? What types of indoor and outdoor sports facilities are available? Are there public parks, country clubs, athletic clubs, fraternal groups? Do you require any special facilities?

After you evaluate and define the county/city/town of interest, this helps you to find your neighborhood preferences. In real estate, there are three criteria that determine market value: “location, location, and location”.

Neighborhood may be an broad area, subdivision or just a collection of a few streets. It is how you define it that will help in selecting your next home.

Every neighborhood can be described by its people, what it looks like, and where its services are located. No matter how much hard data one gathers about a neighborhood, nothing compares with information that local people provide. So once you like an area talk to people and ask questions:

Do neighbors socialize regularly, or hold block parties, picnics, holiday parties, organize sports teams? What are the ways they have met their neighbors? Walking a dog, commuting, PTA, parties, little league, gardening?

How much do the neighbors care for lawns and gardens? Are the houses maintained “like new”, adequately, poorly? Is there a Homeowners Association?

Are cars parked mostly in garages, driveways, in the street? Are property upgrades common? Swimming pools, tennis courts, fences, walls, patios, extensive landscaping?

List your five most frequent destinations. Are they clustered in one stop-and-shop location? Two stops? How much time is required for fire, police, or ambulance services to arrive in an emergency? How close are cultural centers, parks, restaurants, theaters, playgrounds?

How do the children routinely reach their schools, play areas, friends’ homes? By walking, bicycle, bus, or do parents drive them? Is public transportation available for commuting or shopping? Do any local ordinances affect pets, parking, lawn, etc.?

What are the disadvantages of the neighborhood? Freeway, railroad, or airplane noise? Factory pollution, heavy traffic, exposure to heavy storms, possible flooding?

Home finding is easy, once you know what you want. How many people will be living in the house? Do you prefer a new or resale home? What is your preferred housing style? Townhouse, colonial, contemporary, split level, split foyer, Cape Cod, rambler, or something else?

How many total rooms do you need? Bedrooms, bathrooms? How strongly do you require features such as: separate living room, dining room, laundry room, basement or attic, family room, fireplace, workshop area, garage? How much property do you require? Do you have preferences for any particular natural features?

Is the asking price comparable to other houses in the neighborhood? Higher or lower? Make sure that once you want to buy a house, ask the Realtor© to provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to assess local values and what to offer the seller.

Is the existing mortgage assumable? Required down payment amount? What financing method is acceptable to the seller? What type of loan can be had for the property?

What are the annual property taxes? Will the taxes increase with the transfer of deed and a new market price? Any local bonds or assessments?

Lot size? Landscaping details? Degree of grounds maintenance required? Age of house? Structural condition? Are any major repairs or improvements necessary? Maintenance of building?

What type of floor plan do you want. Total number of rooms and baths on each floor? Any extras such as intercom, fireplaces, phone jacks, FIOS, cable? Built-in appliances: dishwasher, garbage disposal, trash compactor? Adequate storage space?

Construction. Inspect quality of materials, present condition, craftsmanship both inside and outside. Insulation? Weather stripping or storm windows?

Major systems. Plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling. What type of fuel does the heating system use? Approximate annual cost?

Once you know what you want, your next step is to find on the web. Contact us now to help you work with a Realtor that can help you and provide you a website that has much flexibility for you to also search on your own.