Your home is your castle, and now that you are building a family as a first-gen dad may seem like a daunting task. Adding on top of that, you have the pressure of picking the right neighborhood to live in, which can be an anxiety-inducing set of decisions to make. Not to worry, there are five (5) main things you need to look at when choosing a place anywhere in the world.
- Home Prices
Somewhat obvious, the price of your house will depend on where you live. Climbing home values is one of the most significant markers of a great neighborhood. Find out what houses in the community are currently valued, then check Zillow as to how that compares with the average value five and ten years earlier. Find out how much the property has increased? Or the neighborhood changed? Find a real estate agent and find out if there are any future developments? Knock on a few doors and ask questions of potential neighbors to get answers.
In the USA, the median price of existing single-family homes hit $232,100 in the first quarter of the year, up 6.9% from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. With that benchmark in mind, consider a place where home values are increasing faster than the national average.
2. School Grade
As we all know, the right school for your child can make all the difference in their successful academic career. The good news is that there are many education options beyond the public school. However, the abundance of possibilities often leaves parents puzzled about choosing the best environment for their children. It is essential to know what to look for in a school to ensure your child receives the best possible education. In some cases, that might indeed be the public school down the street. At the same time, you may want to send them to a private or charter school.
Test scores may not tell everything about a school’s effectiveness. Still, they are an essential component in determining how well the students at that school perform academically. You should also check ratings for local schools, which can be done on sites such as Niche.com. We recommend also analyzing a school-based upon their graduates’ success in college and the professional fields for upcoming high school students.
3. A Close-Knit Community
What type of neighborhood do you want to live in? What do you see when you think of the environment your kids are playing? Think about your personality to determine what sort of neighborhood you want to live in. Perhaps you want to live in a close-knit community with plenty of facilities, or you want a spacious yard with a bit of distance from your neighbors. Maybe you desire regular cultural stimulation and would like to live in the heart of a big city. It could be that you want to be surrounded by people who are in a similar situation to you, e.g., young families.
This is very important as most of your time you will be home. Activities in the neighborhood could enrich your family’s life or make you want to stay indoors. Assess the walkability of the community, layout, and close amenities. Think about your lifestyle, and see if it fits what you expect.
4. Crime Rates
In an ideal world, everyone would live in a place that is free of crime. However, you also have to be realistic in your expectations. Before checking anywhere, research the crime rates and statistics online to find out more about what sort of problems exist in the local area. Most real estate sites like Zillow or redfin have statistics that tell you how the zip code’s crime rates measure up to the national average. If you want specifics, call the local police station.
You may be tempted to take the current crime statistics as the end all be all, but you shouldn’t. “Crime stats don’t tell the full story,” Valhouli says. “A New York City police chief once said that if you want to make the crime in a neighborhood go down, you just reclassify a misdemeanor as a citation.” Instead, ask for local input—from existing homeowners, business owners, and brokers—to better understand the neighborhood’s safety concerns.
5. Commuting Time
Do you plan to drive, walk, or take mass transit to work? Do you have a car, or would you be willing to get one?
But even if you’re planning on commuting by car most of the time, consider whether your candidate neighborhoods also have access to other forms of transit. Access to how you get to work is critical if your daily commute involves lots of traffic. Even in gridlock, it’s not safe to respond to emails, read for enjoyment, or catch up on sleep when you’re behind the wheel of a car – but you can quickly and safely do so on the bus or train. And commuting by car can be stressful, winding you up before you get to work and making it hard to decompress before you arrive home.
Conclusion
No matter where you choose to live, make sure you build a happy and safe place for your family. Remember, your family looks to you to help with guiding them. Relax because you are doing great.
