When you feel you’ve found the home you want, apply the following reality checks to keep your choice from becoming a disappointment. If you drive, is your home east of where you work? Having the sun at your back to and from work is preferable to having it in your face.
Drive by the home you’re interested in at night. Is the home a target for headlights at night? Do cars entering or exiting the street light up the bedroom or create an annoyance? Are there noises in the area at night that will disturb your sleep? Nearby business that you won’t notice during the day can be busy at night.
Likewise, early morning noises can create a problem. Loading docks, shipyards, and train station noise can carry quite a distance in the early morning.
Visit the home on a weekday. Commuters may use the street in front of the house for a shortcut to the freeway. Neighborhoods that are quiet on weekends may be noisy on weekdays. Is the neighborhood compatible with the lifestyle you want? Are you the type of family that likes neighbors with kids? Do you prefer a quiet street and the neighbor next door has a teenager who likes to rebuild motorcycles on weekends? The best way to find out about a neighborhood is to walk around and talk to several neighbors. If there are problems or negatives, you’ll hear about them fast.
Finally, have your agent run a computer list of what similar homes have sold for in the neighborhood for the last 6 to 12 months. Note the days they were on the market before they were sold and the gap between list price and sales price. Has this gap widened or narrowed in the past few months? How many homes in the area are rentals, and are the numbers increasing? You want to make sure the area is on the upswing. If you’re like many Americans, you’ll move in the next six years, and trying to sell a home in a declining area will not be fun or profitable. Planning an exit strategy is as important as buying.
Drive by the home you’re interested in at night. Is the home a target for headlights at night? Do cars entering or exiting the street light up the bedroom or create an annoyance? Are there noises in the area at night that will disturb your sleep? Nearby business that you won’t notice during the day can be busy at night.
Likewise, early morning noises can create a problem. Loading docks, shipyards, and train station noise can carry quite a distance in the early morning.
Visit the home on a weekday. Commuters may use the street in front of the house for a shortcut to the freeway. Neighborhoods that are quiet on weekends may be noisy on weekdays. Is the neighborhood compatible with the lifestyle you want? Are you the type of family that likes neighbors with kids? Do you prefer a quiet street and the neighbor next door has a teenager who likes to rebuild motorcycles on weekends? The best way to find out about a neighborhood is to walk around and talk to several neighbors. If there are problems or negatives, you’ll hear about them fast.
Finally, have your agent run a computer list of what similar homes have sold for in the neighborhood for the last 6 to 12 months. Note the days they were on the market before they were sold and the gap between list price and sales price. Has this gap widened or narrowed in the past few months? How many homes in the area are rentals, and are the numbers increasing? You want to make sure the area is on the upswing. If you’re like many Americans, you’ll move in the next six years, and trying to sell a home in a declining area will not be fun or profitable. Planning an exit strategy is as important as buying.
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