Page 6 - buyers guide

It’s all in the Neighborhood
If houses are like spouses, a neighborhood is like the extended family. But while you can have a good mar- riage and still dread holidays with the in-laws, you’ll never love a house if you don’t like your neighborhood.
Before you start scrutinizing neighborhoods, turn the magnifying glass back on yourself. Think about what you’re really looking for. Remember, you’ll probably have to make compromises so put the “must-haves” at the top and the “would-like-to-haves” at the bot- tom. Consider things such as:
Do you have or plan to have children?
How far are you willing to commute?
What is your current community lacking?
Do you want to be able to go places on foot? What type of home do you want?
Don’t forget to think about what you don’t want in a neighborhood.
With your area of the city in mind, start digging. Find interesting neighborhoods to you, get recommenda-