You have determined what you can afford to pay every month and you are still keeping your credit in tip top shape. Now, where do you want to live? This is a wholly personal choice but an extremely important one. There are so many variables that make one town or one street more appealing than another. You need to narrow down your search before you start going to open houses and calling Real Estate brokers. Make a list of those things in a neighborhood that are most important to you.
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing where you want to live:
1. School District
To many home buyers this is the single most important aspect of their where new home will be located. The school district must be one of the best! This is true if you have or are planning to have children. If you are single or simply not planning to be parents, then school district loses its appeal. However, you must realize that school district adds tremedous value to your home should you choose to sell. Full day kindergarden is a tremedous seller for a home and adds value. It is a consideration often overlooked by both buyers and sellers but it is very important. If you live on Long Island or in the Five Boroughs of New York City, check out the school district information on Multiple Listing Service for Long Island (mlsli.com).
2. Town and community
Depending on your social, gender, religious and racial makeup some places may be more appealing than others. You may wish to be in an area with a high Jewish, Catholic, Gay, Indian, Italian or African American population. You may like the artsy and whimsy style of small towns. Whatever your style and preference, remeber that your choices now will affect the value of the home later when it comes time to sell. Check out the Neighborhood Info section of mlsli.com. You can find information about all of the communities on Long Island by entering in the zip code.
3. Proximity to shopping, highways, parks, other towns, etc.
Make sure that you have access to those things that are important to you within a reasonable driving distance. Although the social makeup of a particular small town may be exactly what you are looking for, if it takes forty five minutes to get to the nearest supermarket or the beach is too far away, you may be miserable. You may love living in a city, but taking your child to the park is not an option.
4. Work or family.
For some people, a shorter commute to work is more important than a shorter commute to see their families. Determine which is more important to you and look at homes in those areas.
Remember that determining where you are going to live is a personal decision and you need to do your research. Only you can decide what matters most to you.
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