“The Nest at its Best” is a weekly column by our area expert & Realtor, Amanda Rickman. This column features helpful home tips, some DIY tutorials, and interesting info about the area! So whether you are looking to sell your home, moving, or just trying to make your home a home, this is surely a column you’ll want to follow!
I know buying a home is very exciting and we tend to get ahead of ourselves…. especially in our current market. It’s like survival of the fittest out there! In this market you really have to jump on houses, but I encourage you to pump the brakes and really do some research to narrow down exactly where you want to buy. First of all, this will prevent you from being completely overwhelmed in the house hunt and second of all, it will give you more assurance about your investment. Here are a few steps I recommend going through before you choose a specific area.
1. Research the Neighborhood : Do a little research on the neighborhood itself through websites and the News Paper. See what they are doing as a community to make it better and keep it safe. A good spot to look at now days is on the neighborhood Facebook page. You can get a little insight on what issues come up and how proactive the community is on the issues.
2. Check the crime rate : The local Police Department should have statistics, but you can also go to www.crimereports.com and search by your zip code.
3. Check the schools that the neighborhood feeds into : You may or may not have children, but it’s a good idea to check the schools if you do. Check out www.tea.state.tx.us to check school ratings in the area because that could be a deciding factor for some on the house hunt.
4. Research the local Amenities : This could be more important to some and maybe not a big deal to others, but see what the neighborhood is close to. Is it important for you to be near a grocery store, a gym, or restaurants? See what the nearby amenities have to offer!
5. Visit the Neighborhood at different times of day : This is sometimes a biggie. Definitely visit the area during the week days, week nights, and weekends to see how quiet or active the area may be at all different times.
6. Check out the Neighborhood Amenities : Usually you can sneak a peek on the homeowners association page to see different Amenity options or simply drive around to check out what they have to offer.
7. Test your commute : Typically people looking in our area are ones who have to make the commute to Austin for work. Be sure to test your commute, some neighborhoods are more difficult to get out of during high traffic hours.