Buying the perfect house, your dream home, is as much about choosing the right neighborhood as it is about selecting the right house. For you are, after all, not just buying a home, but also buying into a neighborhood because it’s the area where you’ll live for many years to come. But you do need to know what to look for in a neighborhood. So check out these 5 things to pay attention to when choosing your new neighborhood. If you’re looking for a home for you and your family, it is important to consider your neighborhood and your community. Some buyers pay attention to finding the perfect home and tend to overlook everything that surrounds your dream house that needs to be examined. Read further to know the 5 things to pay attention to when choosing your new neighborhood in Greater Cincinnati Area.
1. Crime Rates
When choosing your neighborhood, you’ll want to check out the crime rates in any Greater Cincinnati Area neighborhood you’re considering. This is a top concern for almost all home buyers because we all want our families to be safe and property values to stay in good shape.
Sometimes, though, getting the real skinny on crime rates can be a bit of a challenge. Here’s what you can do:
- Talk to local law enforcement agencies.
- Talk to neighborhood residents (the people who really know what goes on in the neighborhood).
- Check websites such as CrimeReports and SpotCrime.
- Check the National Sex Offender Registry.
Also, be sure to talk to a Greater Cincinnati Area real estate agent. A local agent will have the lowdown on various neighborhoods in the area. Just call (513) 813-6293.
You may find, though, that you just don’t have the time to thoroughly investigate a neighborhood, especially if you live in another town, county, or state. But that’s what your Greater Cincinnati Area agent is for. Your agent knows the local markets and the personality of specific neighborhoods.
2. Quality of Schools
The quality of a neighborhood is closely tied to the quality of the schools. Even if you don’t have school-aged children (or any kids), it still matters.
The school quality has a bearing on the resale value of your home, as well as how much it will appreciate. Generally, better schools mean better property values, which means that a home in that Greater Cincinnati Area neighborhood will be a good investment.
In Cincinnati, some of the most desired and top rated school districts are Mason City Schools, Lakota Schools, Forest Hills Schools, Mariemont School District, Sycamore Schools and Madeira School District.
3. Lifestyle Suitability
You should also pay close attention to whether a particular Greater Cincinnati Area neighborhood will fit well with your lifestyle.
For example, are you an empty-nester looking for a quiet, slow-paced neighborhood? Or is yours a family with small children? In that case, you’ll want a neighborhood with plenty of parks and open spaces and family eateries nearby.
Of course, your Greater Cincinnati Area agent will be your best resource for finding out about a neighborhood’s suitability. But you can also peruse neighborhood Facebook groups and websites like Nextdoor and WalkScore.
4. Pride of Ownership
Another tip in choosing your new neighborhood for most buyers is to understand that a good Greater Cincinnati Area neighborhood is one in which the residents are deeply invested and where pride of ownership shows. So be sure to pay attention to whether you see signs that residents truly care about the appearance of their homes and the quality of the neighborhood.
Is there an HOA? If so, check out their guidelines. Also, take the time to walk around the neighborhood, observing the homes and chatting with people. And, as we’ve mentioned before, talk to your agent – she’ll have a good handle on this.
5. Proximity of Emergency Services
We hope you never have any medical or other emergencies, but they do happen. So you also need to make sure that a prospective Greater Cincinnati Area neighborhood has all the necessary emergency services nearby.
Far-flung suburbs are often quite a distance from these services, so keep an eye out for, say, firehouses, police stations, urgent care centers, and so on. You want to be aware of these and know they are close enough before an emergency strikes.
Team Sztanyo is your Trusted Agent in Finding your Perfect Home!
At Team Sztanyo, our only goal is to help families find their way home. We are a trusted guide who cares, serving our clients with competence and professionalism through the home selling or buying experience. We are here to make sure that you are guided throughout the process and help make that very important decision in choosing your dream home!
Knowing the local Cincinnati and NKY real estate market like the back of our hand should be a given for any real estate professional you consider working with. Market knowledge can be the difference between you overpaying or getting a great deal, finding the right property or missing it, and buying a property fully informed or missing critical things during inspection that can cost you.
Real estate can be stressful, but we aim to put your mind at ease. Let us worry about the details.
If you want to chat real estate or even just connect for a quick coffee, reach out to me anytime!
If you seek help in choosing your new neighborhood and really want to know what a Greater Cincinnati Area neighborhood is like or you have questions like What are the bad areas of Cincinnati? What is the most dangerous neighborhood in Cincinnati? What is the best area to live in Cincinnati? What are the nice neighborhoods in Cincinnati? Then contact us today at (513) 813-6293.