Exploring Neighborhoods

When you purchase a house, you’re not just buying the house – In a way, you're buying a neighborhood. After all, you will likely choose a home partly because it's close to work, the schools are great or it’s walking distance to restaurants and stores – or maybe you love that it's nowhere near retail establishments.


In fact, picking the right neighborhood is more important than picking the right house. The last thing you want is to purchase a house in an area where everyone is trying to leave.


Aesthetics – An attractive neighborhood indicates the residents care about it.


Affordability – It’s normal to want to purchase an inexpensive house in a great area, but you also want to be able to afford the cost of living in the neighborhood.


Safe environment – Investigate the area as much as you can to make sure it’s reasonably safe.


Easy access to goods and services – Can you make a quick run to the bank or grocery store, or will every day be a headache behind the wheel due to traffic congestion or construction?


The following website contains mostly neighborhood statistics and information, but it also has data on more than 100 million U.S. homes: www.HomeFacts.com

  • Things to consider when exploring neighborhoods

    The neighborhood matters – When you ask a real estate agent the three most important things about any home, he or she will likely say “Location, location, location”.


    Housing Prices – The first thing most buyers would probably want to know about a neighborhood is how much homes cost.


    Taxes - You will want to know how what the 

    property tax rates are for your new home.


    Schools – Whether you have kids or not, the quality of schools in a neighborhood is important to note. Areas with better schools often have higher home values. Some websites will give you a general overview about the schools. However, if you are a parent, you will want to investigate further and find the local school district’s website to start getting the information you need to understand whether the local school will be a good fit for your child. For detailed information on reviews, test scores and other data, visit: www.Greatschools.org


    Climate and Weather – Weather can be a very personal thing. Some people love sunshine all year long while other crave the colder weather and enjoying the cozy indoors. You can check out the local weather channel website for information.


    Walking distance (Getting Around) – Most people want to know what kind of quality of life they can expect in a neighborhood. Some people would rather be close to work or walking distance from local shopping, restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment.


    Crime – Many people worry about crime rates when they move into a new neighborhood and rightfully so. To find out about crime and incidents in an area, you can visit: https://www.lapdonline.org/

    You can type in a zip code or a city and you will be presented with a map showing pins, which, when clicked, provide additional details. You can also refine your search to search for older criminal activity.

    If you are a parent, living alone or are often out late at night, you may be especially concerned about sex offenders living in your neighborhood. The U.S. Department of Justice has consolidated this information at the National Sex Offender Public Website: https://www.nsopw.gov

    You can type in the address of the home you are thinking of buying (or the school your kids will be attending) and discover any such offenders within a radius of up to three miles.

    You can also visit the California Megan's Law Website: https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/


    Demographics – The best thing about any neighborhood is the neighbors. Will you be the wealthiest family on the block or struggling to keep up with the Jones’? Will you be surrounded by strollers or singles looking to mingle? Information on income, racial diversity, age, and relationship status can tell you a lot about where you’ll feel at home before you even set foot in a new city.


    Healthcare – You should research what hospitals, medical facilities, dental offices and other medical service providers are in the area and how far of a commute to get to your current service providers.

  • Ways to learn about the neighborhood before you buy

    Although you can find almost everything about a neighborhood on the internet, nothing beats walking or driving around the area to learn more about it. After buying your home, the last thing you want is to find out that the neighborhood has a funny smell emanating from a peculiar nearby business or factory. Or, learn that the nearby train is super loud at certain hours of the day or night.

    If you’re looking to live in your new home for many years to come, be sure you know what you’re getting into.


    In-Person Neighborhood Research – If you can get out to the neighborhood in person, you’ll learn a lot more about how it looks and feels on the ground than you would online.


    Go for a few walks around the area – This is the best way to get a feel for the neighborhood you may soon call home. Taking a few long walks in a neighborhood can accomplish a lot of important things all at once:

    You’ll see how often people in the neighborhood are out and about. Kids playing, people walking dogs, and athletes running and biking in the area all suggest the people currently living there feel comfortable amongst their neighbors. And if you’re a runner or biker yourself, you’ll get a feel for the available routes and paths you can take.

    It gives you the chance to talk to people that already live there. You can ask how they feel about living there, what they like about it, and if there are any warnings they’d give to someone considering buying there.

    You can look out for all those little problems that are hard to notice when you visit a neighborhood briefly to check out a house – loud noises, dogs running around without a leash, broken glass on the sidewalks, weird smells. These things don’t necessarily make or break a neighborhood and are not the kinds of things a real estate agent will mention, but they may make a difference to how you feel about living there.

    Ideally, you should try taking a few different routes on your walks around the neighborhood and go at different times of day. It takes time, but the amount of valuable information you’ll get from it is well worth it before making a big decision.


    Test out your commute – If you already live in the city where you’re house hunting and you know where you’ll be working, then this is an important step to understand what your day-to-day quality of life will be like living in that neighborhood. Just routing your trip to work on Google Maps won’t be nearly as informative as getting out there and experiencing it yourself at the time of day you typically go to work. If you drive, you’ll get a feel for how people drive in the neighborhood, the long lights to be aware of, and school zones you’ll have to slow down for.

    If you take public transportation, it’s a good idea to find out if the buses and trains run on time and how crowded they get.

Red Flags to look out for:

Spotting a neighborhood on the decline is not rocket science. Here are some things to consider:

An increased number of short sales, foreclosures and vacant properties is a concern.

The number of rental properties in the area – Rentals may not indicate anything bad for the neighborhood now – but it could down the road. If a property is not owner-occupied and owner-maintained, it has a higher risk of not being well cared for, and that negatively affects neighboring property values.

A general lack of property maintenance – Overgrown lawns and shrubs, things scattered throughout the yard, garbage bins not taken in, are other observable red flags. Even how congested a street is with parked cars can signal a neighborhood’s downturn.

Don't just look at the parking – look at the parks. The appearance of a park can tell you a lot about a neighborhood. Parks are among the most telling signs of the condition of a neighborhood. In areas where the infrastructure is strong, and where residents are involved and take care of the neighborhood, you’ll be able to see it through the condition of the park.”

Don’t go overboard worrying about the neighborhood you choose, because any neighborhood you buy into will eventually change whether you like it or not.

Still, selecting the right neighborhood is important. Your neighborhood's character will shape your family's character.

Remember, the old adage "location, location, location" is around for a reason. You can always change a house, but you can't change its location. Ignoring the neighborhood, and your neighbors because you really love the house, is something you may end up regretting in the future.

Things to look for around the area or next-door neighbors

Property Upkeep – Look for signs of disrepair and neglect. Make sure you look at all the homes surrounding your potential buy, as well as homes down the street and behind your property. Look for uncut grass, garbage and other clutter left in the yard, and weedy flowerbeds. Also, look closely at the homes and buildings around you. If they look like they're hurting for some love and care, that could be a red flag. The neighborhoods in your price range might be full of modest, older homes, but the yards and the exteriors of the homes should indicate pride of ownership.

People – Who wants to listen to yet another frat party at 2am Friday morning? Bad neighbors don't just neglect their property; they can also have no consideration for other people in the neighborhood. If you're buying in a college town, or in a neighborhood where there are already lots of rentals, be aware that you may have to listen to more than your fair share of loud music and late-night parties. Inspect the neighborhood during the day, and make sure to also drive around the neighborhood at night.

Look for signs such as one house having a lot of cars parked outside and front porches dotted with sofas, recliners, etc. Bad neighbors might also ignore their pets, and no one likes listening to a barking dog all night. When you're house shopping, keep an eye out for neighborhood pets. Are they tied up outside, or in a small fenced area? Do they look like they're taken care of, or are they being neglected? A neighbor's pets offer an important clue to how good, or bad, a neighbor is likely to be. It can be helpful to talk to other homeowners in the area to find out about their neighbors.

Homes in Foreclosure and Vacant Buildings – Absent neighbors and empty buildings can also bring down property values in the neighborhood. Neighborhoods with stores that have gone out of business and schools that have closed do not reflect a growing, prosperous community. Furthermore, vacant buildings encourage a variety of nefarious activities that you do not want in your neighborhood.

Zoning Changes and Development Plans – Zoning laws and plans for development can negatively impact neighborhoods. For example, are residential homes mixed with commercial buildings or mobile homes? Do any of the homes have poorly built additions?