How Did Y'all Choose Where to Buy a Home?

We are just now moving to another city because of my job, so we just faced the same decision ourselves. First, we spoke to everyone we could who had grade-school kids. We asked about how they liked their neighborhood, how they liked their child's school, and if they could do it all over again, where they'd move. It's funny because we had expected to hear that everyone wanted to live in a certain town, and actually we kept hearing about a totally different town, over and over! So, we started researching the schools in that town on greatschools.com. Sure enough, in the suburb we kept hearing about, there are some REALLY great public schools! So then we took a few weekend trips to the town to get a feel for the different neighborhoods. We went to open houses (LOTS of open houses). If we liked a house, we'd then park the car and walk to the nearest park. We'd have the kids play there for an hour and see what kinds of families we saw, and then we'd go to the nearest grocery store and wander around in there, and just get a feel for the neighborhood. This really helped us narrow down our search to about a 1-mile square area where we really wanted to live. And from there, we just focused in on the types of things we really wanted in our home - the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.

Of course, I guess we won't really know how this all worked out until a few months from now when we've moved into our new house! But I'm pretty confident that we have chosen the right neighborhood and home for us.

Good luck to you! Good for you for starting on this early!

I t yhink family is so important for kids. If you have family it's always good for kids to know that here are grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins that love them and are a part of their world. It extends their feeling of security - that it's not jsut you and he "against the world". You seem to really have your head screwed on the right way. But keep in mind that owning a house is not a neccessary thing. It takes up alot of your time and money - if you live in a nice apartment you can have alot more freedom from yardwork, plumbing problems, leaky roofs etc. If your parents are alive, emotionally stable, and willing sharing their house isn't a bad thing either. Again, it will give your son an extra level of security knowing there's someone else who loves him and cares about him. Another th ought, as it relates to school districts - homes in good school districts tend to be very expensive, and again the cost to maintain them is higher than you realize, until you own it and have to go deep into debt to repair the inevitable things that go wrong. It may cost you less to pay for private school tuition (catholic school, christian school, etc.) than to buy a house in a preferred school district. I find public schools, even in the best districts are lacking in the teaching of the basics. Just a thought. Keep at it though mamma - sounds like you're doing a great job.

To me, choosing where I live is about the feel of the neighborhood, the sense of safety and ability to connect with the neighbors--they do NOT all have to be "like us", in fact, I prefer diversity of income, age, professions, and houses. I tend to love older, traditional homes and neighborhoods where there is variety and quality in the homes. I hate, and I mean HATE, McMansion subdivisions with no mature trees and all the houses painted multiple shades of beige and green. I want a neighborhood to take a walk in, see people hanging out on their porch, let my kids run down the street to see if there are other kids home. I definitely also agree with you that the school is important. We've always put our kids in the public alternative schools, since our district offers choice with all schools in the district. That meant for our first ones that we drove them pretty far each morning to get to school, but that the curriculum and school community were more what we felt our daughters would do well with. Now, we happen to live across the street from my youngest daughter's school, and that definitely did contribute to choosing this neighborhood and this house.

It also helps that I am about 5 minutes from work--I have saved a lot of money and time that way over the years. My parents live a couple of hours away, but we see them often. Kind of perfect for me, since I am pretty independent and like the distance, but also want my children to have a strong connection with their grandparents. It works well for us.

Of course, cost is a major factor. What you can afford will determine where you buy. Still, you may be able to manage a smaller home in a better neighborhood, rather than a large home in a place that doesn't fit you as well.

So I think you are thinking about the right things.

Hi Becky,
Sounds like you and I are facing the same dilemma. I'm a single, working mom, living in a less than desirable school district, trying to figure out where I want my 3 year old daughter to go to school. But I'm also a licensed Real Estate Agent. Catherine C. had some really good suggestions for getting a good feel for a neighborhood. But I'd also recommend finding a Buyer's Agent with whom you are comfortable. A buyer's agent works directly for you and can help in many ways. Plus, it doesn't cost you anything. Always remember that the listing agent (the one on the sign in the front yard) works directly for the seller. Also, a buyer's agent can help direct you to various programs available to first time home buyers, including a matched savings program (for every dollar you put in they will match it with $4) and grants for up to $20,000 toward down payments and closing costs.

Best of luck in your search and if there is anything I can help you with please don't hesitate to contact me. Either through this format, at ____@____.com or by phone 888-757-6928 x504.

D.

Choose a place where the district is not growing. High growth districts are building new facilities, and the focus is on new buildings and not the quality of the staff. Get on your State DOE website, and research the schools report card, and then look for one that is not expanding, and you will find that these schools have better quality teaching staff, and more money spent per child.

M.

I found out the boundaries of the school I wished she could go to and then searched for a home in that area. However, the school rezone here all the time so even if you buy your home, the boundaries can change. Then I drive around in different times to see what type of neighborhood it is and if there is any rif-raf hanging around late at night.