bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 When relocating, what specific characteristics do you look for in a potential neighborhood? Is there anything specific that attracted you to your current area ( if you love it)? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 The best neighborhoods for us are walkable and have most everything we need without having to get in the car. They're also safe so we can all feel comfortable walking around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolinagirl1 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I like to have sidewalks or paths to walk/run/ride bikes (or at least have space on the street so I don't have to worry about much traffic). I also like to have a pool if possible. It needs to be close to decent shopping. I don't want to have to drive 30 minutes to go to Walmart/Target/Somewhere to eat. I like established trees and nice landscaping. I can't stand it when developers come in and cut every tree down to build houses. It looks so barren. The ability to put up privacy fences is nice too. Those are the main things I look for. If I think of any others, I will update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Good school districts because it effects resale value and in case you ever had to send your children to public schools. Also, privacy is a must. We're on 3 acres and spread out from neighbors, but if we were in a neighborhood I'd want a lot that offers some privacy or quiet. I would check to see how far it is from the things and activities that are important to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingMOm Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Trees, big trees. A mix of ages- I don't want to live in a neighborhood with all young families- we like a healthy mix of middle age & older folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Echoing the comment about good school districts. Established neighborhoods, nothing brand spanking new. I want trees that are already grown, neighbors who already have connections to each other. I also want to reasonably close to the highway, grocery store, post office, library, emergency services. We lived out in the country for several years, and we moved back to the suburbs because those things were too important to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Safe, convenient to the light rail line & the freeway but not right next to either, walkable is a definite plus, okay schools (though we chose not to pay through the nose for the "best" district), and not boring California generic. What I mean by that is some of the neighborhoods in the geographic area where we were househunting looked like they could be ANYWHERE in suburban California. If I were blindfolded and plopped down in the middle of the neighborhood, I wouldn't have a clue where specifically I was. I told that to our realtor and she just laughed because she knew exactly what I meant by the statement. The house we eventually bought is on a hill and backs up to an open space. It's near the line of a more "prestigious" town but was $150k-$200k less than virtually identical homes on the other side of the line. We didn't see any reason to pay more simply for the snob appeal. Maybe we could've recouped the extra when we go to sell eventually, but that's a long time to be "house poor". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Safe, not on a feeder street, lots of kids.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 25 m swimming pool within walking distance. Yes, dh was a little (no a lot) surprised that this was even a consideration when we looked for our first house. I'm weird like that. ditto on the school district. A street that is a dead end or not a through street is preferable. Recreation (areas to bike, basketball courts, fields, playgrounds bike trails) easily accessible (w/i neighborhood) to dc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Not a subdivision. Homes spaced, established and on larger tracks of land. 1hr drive or less to major city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Good school districts, culture, privacy. Is this possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 older, with larger yards and established trees. NO HOA-- at all. ever again. I would also look for the "better" built neighborhoods-- my current house was a "cheaper" built house and I wish I had found one that was a little better built. I don't really know how to know until you see inside and can see the baseboards and woodwork and stuff-- but there is a difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Diversity. Trees. Convenience to amenities. View. Acceptable crime rate. Acceptable schools if my kids are going to attend them. Down to earth (not a hoity-toity feel). I moved here as a single person, so I wasn't really looking at the schools then. But it happens that the school system here is pretty good. My kids don't attend the public schools, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 No HOA Private Not tons of kids Well-built Well kept lawns and areas Good schools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 No neighborhood. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 No neighborhood. ;) I had to chuckle at this one because my DH wants to live out in the middle of nowhere. I want a neighborhood so that my kiddos can make some friends. ;-) Once they are out on their own...we can talk about the boonies. ;-) I do have an embarrassingly dumb question....how do you figure out a neighborhood's diversity (both age and culturally)? As a pp mentioned, I, too, would love to have a variety of ages....young families, older couples, etc.. How do you figure that out? The realtor? Looking for telltale signs such as bikes, scooters, basketball hoops, kids running around? I know this sounds ridiculous....forgive my lack of foresight here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 My dream home has a winding drive through the woods on many acres, away from people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 My dream home has a winding drive through the woods on many acres, away from people. Mine too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I had to chuckle at this one because my DH wants to live out in the middle of nowhere. I want a neighborhood so that my kiddos can make some friends. ;-) Once they are out on their own...we can talk about the boonies. ;-) . I grew up in a neighborhood and since I've been married we've lived in the country where we can just barely see a neighbor's house. Kids can make friends elsewhere. I love the fact that we can chose my kid's friends instead of them having to play with whatever kids live in our neighborhood. We don't have to deal with annoying kids who knock on your door every ten minutes or mean neighbor kids. I just can't imagine living in a neighborhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 I grew up in a neighborhood and since I've been married we've lived in the country where we can just barely see a neighbor's house. Kids can make friends elsewhere. I love the fact that we can chose my kid's friends instead of them having to play with whatever kids live in our neighborhood. We don't have to deal with annoying kids who knock on your door every ten minutes or mean neighbor kids. I just can't imagine living in a neighborhood. LOVE this! Thank you for this insight! We have found a couple of absolutely gorgeous homes that would qualify as a "dream home" but my mind always goes back to the kids. You are sooooo right! Hmmmmmm.....going to go take another look at those homes through different lenses. THANK YOU! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I do have an embarrassingly dumb question....how do you figure out a neighborhood's diversity (both age and culturally)? As a pp mentioned, I, too, would love to have a variety of ages....young families, older couples, etc.. How do you figure that out? The realtor? Looking for telltale signs such as bikes, scooters, basketball hoops, kids running around? I know this sounds ridiculous....forgive my lack of foresight here. It is easy these days to find out the demographics of your zip code. Google the phrase "demographics of [zip code]". Movoto.com and city-data.com are the first two sites that pop up when I Google my zip code. Finding out the demographics of your specific neighborhood is more difficult. The demographics were not really a concern for us personally, except that we wouldn't want to live in an ethnic neighborhood where we'd be the only white family on the block (mostly for language reasons since we don't speak Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Crimson Wife- thank you. Off to google. See...I'm new and ignorant to all of this moving stuff. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 We lucked into our neighborhood, but if we moved I'd look for a lot of the same features. I grew up in the woods with almost no neighbors, so I am LOVING being in civilization. I adore the paved bike paths through the woods, the sidewalks, the fact that I can get to shops, the pool, and the library without a car and that it's all accessible to my child in a wheelchair. My grandmother visited and was amazed that it only took me 15 minutes to leave the house, get some groceries, and get back home. It takes her and mom 15 minutes just to get off the hill and to a main road. It's a great place to raise kids. The schools have a good reputation. DD walks to her high school. We have other kids on our cul-de-sac, but they all seem to be adequately parented, so we've had very few knocks on the door in 13 years. The kids naturally congregate at the grass circle in the cul-de-sac and play with whoever is outside. There's definitely a culture of outside play with kids meeting outdoors to bike or swim or meet at the playground. I liked the mature trees until one dropped on my house. Now they make me nervous and I'm planning to systematically eliminate the larger ones. :-/ I've enjoyed raising my kids in the suburbs. Caroline actually grew up here, so she can give a kid's perspective. I just know that, as an adult, I can't go back to living too far from town. I actually think I'd adjust very well to city living since both DH and I greatly prefer the symphony and museums over doing yard work and home repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Oh my word y'all are making this difficult! In a VERY good way of course. ;-) Clearly I need to continue praying about this! Lol! I want it all...mature landscaping, fantastic neighbors, a home with lots of character (updated to the nines of course-j/k), land, privacy, and walking/not-so-long distance to ameninities. Sigh....back to reality...ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Definitely talk to neighbors that you see outside when looking in an area. That can really give you an idea of how things are. Also, you should drive through the area all different times of the day on weekdays and weekends, morning and nights. Visiting the local grocery stores will also give you an idea of the type of people that live in an area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Something a little older. I don't like new neighborhoods, though I know if you buy in one, it matures. I like large old trees and well established landscaping. We love that our neighborhood is relatively small and has ONE way in and out. I think this cuts back on crime and also on traffic. With one road in and out, you generally only have people coming in for a purpose. I would hate to live in a neighborhood that becomes a "short cut" between well travelled roads. Potential for change. I don't want someone to be able to put a gas station across the street from my dream house, or to get the area near me rezoned to build an apartment building. I don't want to live on a street that might be widened in five years and eat into my front yard. I didn't want to live near land that might be developed in a way that would impact me later. I have friends who lived near a really pretty wooded area, and it stayed that way for years. THIS year, developers clear cut the land -absolutely devastated it to build new houses. My Dad taught me to really think about how those kinds of changes might occur. I actually am OK with a HOA as long as the rules are not petty. I'm not sure our HOA is very busy - I have never had any dealings with them, but I am glad there are some basic expectations of keeping things looking reasonably nice. Access to natural areas. I love that our neighborhood has access to an unpaved greenway. There is no real public access (which I guess maybe makes it an easement and not a greenway) so mostly if I see anyone when I am walking, it is another neighbor or someone who lives along it. I like being able to take a nice long walk in the woods with my dog off leash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 The biggest piece of advice I have is to ask your realtor what people prefer in your area. IE: Near Boston buyers like original windows, near Chicago people hate vinyl siding and WANT to paint every few years, in Iowa they prefer 2 story colonial with no maintenance siding, in Colorado and the southwest people prefer mid century modern brick or stucco ranch houses and having two stories will limit resale. We personally look for these things: No HOA, but neighborhood covenants that stop the same things an HOA would without fees can be good. Minimum 3 bedroom / 2 bath /2 living spaces /2 car garage even when we didn't need that much space because that gets you the best resale value. Prefer high bathroom:bedroom ratio Lots of storage. Structurally sound is VERY important Prefer cosmetically bad so I can redo everything (I grew up in a DIY family). Basement or storm shelter in tornado country. We generally go online and find the best couple elementary schools in the area and only look in those areas. Prefer a quiet neighborhood that feels like people put effort into maintenance. Prefer a neighborhood 30 years old or less with a lot of retired couples because homes hold value with less turnover and there's always someone home to alert you if something suspicious is happening. Also makes me happy if it's an area with police or sheriff deputies, because they'll answer emergency calls faster. If you can find an area that's not in an HOA but is still close to a golf course those houses often hold their value. Generally pick the worst/smallest house in the nicest neighborhood you can afford It must NOT have: structural issues, termites, lead paint, asbestos ceilings, be in a flood zone, or have a mold issue. Brick, brick veneer, or stone tends to hold value better than other siding options. DH prefers extra garage and shed space. I also hate dormers in a roof (we had one place that had constant leaks despite being repaired ten times), laminate flooring, and a lot of wood mulch near the house (due to centipede and spider issues, also at a previous house, and I've since learned it also creates a fire risk). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Decent SD just in case, and for resale Level lot of decent size (where I am, that's a half acre unfortunately. Previous home was 1.3 acres and backed to green space). This is a pretty important thing for us. Lot drains well quality construction (in my current home that meant sacrificing a lot of cosmetic preferences. Sometimes I regret that, but, I know it was a good decision for us overall. Most construction of similar newer homes in my area is markedly worse. But they have very nice interiors, where ours needs some updating) prefer a cul de sac type of street if I have to live in a suburban subdivision ;) We've owned two homes in cul de sacs and prefer that for a subdivision lot. We both grew up on acreage and would like more privacy than available in our little subdivision. However, in our price range that would make DH's commute much longer, or we'd be stretched substantially more financially. Or we'd have a really small house, and I think I would possibly lose my mind. Tidy, well-kept houses, prefer no HOA or one that is not ridiculous. Prefer decent buffers between some of the houses. We don't have much in the way of trees between our neighbors on the sides, but there are tall trees and a nice privacy buffer at the rear of our property. I have never lived "in town" with kids, so when we were presented with houses that were more walkable but in town vs.a subdivision, I wasn't sure. Where I am, most subdivisions are not really walkable to anything at all. I like the idea of walkability, but haven't lived in a place that offered that with kids. I know the ins and outs of suburban subdivisions, for better or for worse :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Walkable! Lots of parks! Nearby stores! Lots of people on streets. Signs that people care about their yard - potted plants, litter picked up, etc. (But I'm a city person. :-) Suburbs drive me bonkers.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 The Hive rocks- seriously-you are all sooo amazing. You would think all of this would be obvious to me,but I'm taking notes! Great points are being made! Sadie- ((hugs)) for the tight market where you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Walkable! Lots of parks! Nearby stores! Lots of people on streets. Signs that people care about their yard - potted plants, litter picked up, etc. (But I'm a city person. :-) Suburbs drive me bonkers.) This distinction baffled me a bit, but I was forced to remember that I actually live in a small city that was designed to feel more like a suburb. I tend to forget my suburb is a tad abnormal. I've never lived in a true suburb with nothing but homes. That would not be good for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 older, with larger yards and established trees. NO HOA-- at all. ever again. I would also look for the "better" built neighborhoods-- my current house was a "cheaper" built house and I wish I had found one that was a little better built. I don't really know how to know until you see inside and can see the baseboards and woodwork and stuff-- but there is a difference Lara and I could be happy neighbors. :-) Right now we're semi rural - dirt road with 5 acre lots - except our house has the one random .5 acre lot. We are surrounded by woods on 3 sides. My neighbors across the street are fairly close, I can see their houses, but we're not on top of each other. I am ready to move into a bit more of a neighborhood though and we were scoping out my ideal one yesterday. it's older, big yards (.25-1 acre lots), lots of trees and the houses are kept up nicely. Driving around, there was a good mix of people outside and kids were riding bikes around the neighborhood. Exactly what I want for our next house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Nice well kept yards, no noisy dogs (I've had enough of the 24/7 barkers) and that none of the houses "pop" on the watchdog site. I like cul-de-sacs or dead end streets, fences, I would love if my yard had a fence so the neighbor on the right didn't cross it 10 times a day to visit his Buddy on my left. Oh yeah, a yard that isn't a pond 1/2 the year (it looked so much better before Spring). Someone should have warned me. Number 1 is proximity to DH's work(3/4 mile). He hates being away from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 NO HOA-- at all. ever again. This was at the top of our list when we moved from California to Texas. No HOA. Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 This was at the top of our list when we moved from California to Texas. No HOA. Nope. We had a terrible experience with a Cali HOA, so when we looked at our house (which has a low-power HOA), we asked friends who lived there about any "drama" they had experienced. They told us a long story about two neighbors fighting - that had occurred over 12 years ago. We figured if the only story they could tell was 12 years old, that was a good sign. We're really really happy with out HOA and the things it takes off our plate (basically, gardening of front yards, leaf removal, snow removal, and repaving our driveway). Our prior experience was filled with hatred and backstabbing, so we were cautious coming into this one. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Must have an HOA (that is non-negotiable) Diverse Within an hour of a decent sized city Well cared for properties Decent school district Walkable Underground utilities Neighborhood pools (non-existent in current locale :( ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Sidewalks,underground utilities, streetlights,neat yards,no cars on blocks or parlked on the road permanently, I also likjevour neighborhood does not have through streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 My ideal neighborhood: safe and clean area in or near a decent sized city medium sized houses with good sized yards, for suburbia. 1-3 acres quiet streets, no busy traffic or cut throughs nearby creek and some wooded space or a park. neighborhood pool/swim club. tennis courts are a plus. neighbors of various ages and stages in life neighbors with various school commitments- not all one school system 10 minutes or less to basic retail and high frequency places - grocery, gas, library, church a neighborhood which sees itself as a community and purposefully fosters that identity, but NO HOA. This usually means an older neighborhood around here, built before the 80's. sidewalks and/or bike paths are a big plus mature trees are a non-negotiable, lots of them underground utilities are a plus, but not common in older neighborhoods here We have some of these, but not the big lot or the neighborhood pool, sidewalks, underground power or the community feeling. We have a small house. I would love to have another 400-800 square feet, a partial basement and a garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 The best neighborhoods for us are walkable and have most everything we need without having to get in the car. They're also safe so we can all feel comfortable walking around. It seems like many of the walkable neighborhoods here tend to be some of the less safe. Not all, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 You are spot on SparklyUnicorn- it is indeed very individual (which I love!). ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I grew up in a small city designed to feel like a suburb. I look for a neighborhood that makes me feel like my hometown. I want walkable places for my kids to hang out, grab lunch, fish... I want it safe for my kids to ride bikes. I want a neighborhood pool in walking distance. I want a diverse mix of families. I look for a great middle school, because that means the feeder elementary schools are good. You can have a great elementary that feeds a crappy middle school. It's very rare to have a good middle school only. I want a neighborhood where we aren't the wealthiest or the poorest.inwould move back to my hometown in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Lara and I could be happy neighbors. :-) Right now we're semi rural - dirt road with 5 acre lots - except our house has the one random .5 acre lot. We are surrounded by woods on 3 sides. My neighbors across the street are fairly close, I can see their houses, but we're not on top of each other. I am ready to move into a bit more of a neighborhood though and we were scoping out my ideal one yesterday. it's older, big yards (.25-1 acre lots), lots of trees and the houses are kept up nicely. Driving around, there was a good mix of people outside and kids were riding bikes around the neighborhood. Exactly what I want for our next house. Do you want me to tell you where I live? LOL Seriously we are very happy here -- as are most of the people who live in this neighborhood-- There are very few houses for sale-- ever. Of my neighbors, their lengths of stay are--- 45years, 30years, 15 years,12 years, 10 years, and the newbies-- 1.5 years. We have been here 11. People love it here -- I have never seen a house for sale longer than 6 months even in the worst of economic times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 If we were relocating right now, we would look for an acre or two with a 3 bed, 2 bath house and mil quarters, garage, and small outbuilding all far enough out from a decent metropolis that we feel rural, and yet close enough to a major city to easily book international travel and take advantage of many cultural events. We've been looking at Fredericksburg, Maryland and several other places to get a feel for how much money we need to save for such a property and what our monthly income would need to be in retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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