Do your research and don’t listen to your office mates

Baltimore is famous for its neighborhoods. Go into a nice area and it can border a neighborhood with wood-covered windows and empty buildings. For people new to the area, finding a good neighborhood can be a scary process.

By doing your homework, you will become a better informed home buyer. Of course, your realtor is a big help. Realtors have a great knowledge of the areas where they sell the most homes. They also know if an area is rising or falling in value.

Kid friendly playgrounds and schools

If you have school age kids, or are planning a family in the future, the neighborhood schools are extremely important when shopping for a home. You can’t afford to leave these things to chance.

Knowing if there are no kids or lots of kids can be a factor changing your opinion of a certain area or development. You might even take a drive through the neighborhood at different times of day to see what kinds of activities are happening.

Unfortunately, in this day and age you have to take a look at the sex offender registry to see how the neighborhood looks from that respect.

City versus county

City property taxes tend to be higher than for a comparable home in the county. Homeowner’s and car insurance are also higher in Baltimore City than in the county, but you may be able to get a better deal on a home. Consider your priorities before you start looking for a home. Once you have that nailed down, home shopping gets easier.

Noisy Neighborhood

You might only find out about this from talking to neighbors of the home you are interested in buying. You can do a drive by or two at night for more information. Do homeowners have late night parties, loud music blaring at all hours or a dog that barks constantly? When you are making possibly the biggest investment of your life, it is important to know everything you can ahead of time.

Ugly traffic

Some neighborhoods seem lovely in the middle of the day when you look at them. But come rush hour, things might change.

Are cars racing by, horns blowing and brakes screeching at all hours? Is the home close to the beltway or other highway where you will hear traffic sounds all day and night? Again, driving by at different times of day will give you the answers you need.

Summing it up

A great house in a rotten neighborhood is probably not the dream home you always wanted. Ask lots of questions of your realtor about the neighborhood. Do your own research before you take the plunge and buy a home. Crime Reports is a good site that lets you know what types of crimes are happening in any area.

If you have questions about a neighborhood where you want to buy a home, please contact me. I am always happy to get information for my clients who are making this major decision.