New Year, New Neighborhood.
As the New Year approaches, we start to dream. We make personal goals, professional goals, fitness goals, you name it. It is a time for rejuvenation, motivation, and hope.
What if one of your goals is to move to a new neighborhood? Choosing the right community is imperative as it can impact your lifestyle, happiness, and property value. There are a billion factors that come into play when making a big decision like moving. What is the right thing for me and my family? What is the best financial decision? How does this impact my work?
It can be overwhelming! Let's take a minute to break this down and help guide you to a place where you can make some initial decisions.
Define your priorities.
Similar to a 'pros and cons' list, define your priorities. What is most important to least important to you? Consider things like proximity to work, school systems, access to public transportation, safety, parks, restaurants and the like.
Visit Different Neighborhoods.
Research what the community is known for, join town facebook groups, and look at neighborhood review platforms.
Take some time to walk through different parts of the community. What is the town center like? How is traffic? Are there dog friendly parks? Give yourself time to picture yourself in that community.
Evaluate Commute and Accessibility.
In a post-Covid world, many of us are back in the office. Check to see how long your commute would be and how far away major highways are. Map out public transportation to see how accessible it is for you. Use different methods of transportation to understand what is most efficient and comfortable for you.
Assess and Engage with the Community.
What does this community have to offer you and your family? Consider things like libraries, parks, shopping centers, restaurants, health care facilities, and grocery stores.
Attend local events and try to talk to people who are a part of that community. How would they describe their town and do those values align with your own?
Long Term Value.
What is real estate like in that community? Things like property value appreciation, future building, and planned improvements are important to consider.
If you do have children or plan to have children thinking about the school district as a long term value add may be important as well.
Trust your Gut.
You know yourself the best. At the end of the day, where we choose to live impacts our life satisfaction. What are your values and does this community align with those? If so, it may be the right neighborhood for you. If not, trust your instinct and continue using logic and your intuition to find the right place for you.
Happy Neighborhood Hunting!
Stephanie Badavas Tobin
