DECIDING ON AN AREA

Good Reasons To Focus On Certain Areas

1.  AFFORDABILITY – The first consideration when purchasing a home should be affordability, so you can live comfortably and  don’t end up moving again before you want to.   Also some areas offer much larger homes for great prices.  If your family life is most important for you, you may consider moving to an area that affords an easier lifestyle.  
2. LIFESTYLE – Lifestyle and Location can only be achieved through affordability.   Some of us like cities and others like to be in the county, or by the ocean ,lake or golf course.   Living close to your  work,  schools, shopping , and the things you like can allow for more quality time.   Having a big home for a family can be great at times.  It can also be a burden if most of it sits empty.    Think about the lifestyle you want is very important.  
3. WORK & INCOME – Though some lower priced areas also offer lower pay for employees, the type of work you do may pay more, giving you a great advantage in a lower priced area.   It may allow you to purchase that dream home you always wanted.   Some of us live in small apartments for the same price as others live in huge homes.  
4. SAFETY – Safety is not always affected by price.  It is easy to check police reports for the neighborhoods you are considering by checking the local police website.  Unless you are already familiar with a neighborhood or community, it’s a good idea to check the local crime report to make sure you are not buying in a high crime area.  
5. FAMILY – Though family should be your number one consideration you may not be able to enjoy your family as you wish, if you don’t consider other factors.  The main consideration for most families is schools, as they can impact the safety and future of your children.  You may want to check ratings on the schools your children before going too deep into your search.
6.  TRANSPORTATION – Living close to your work can offer many benefits.  You will have more time to enjoy thing you like and can also save money.   With the high cost of fuel, you will want to consider commuting distance, look into car pools and public transportation.
7.  FUTURE VALUE –  Some areas have very little growth or can be in decline, while other areas have great growth potential.  It is a good idea to research economic trends of the communities you are considering.   You can find information on future developments on most city and county sites, and can learn of other important trends by reading the local newspaper.