How to find the right neighbourhood to purchase your home

Posted Feb 16, 2012 By EMC News

EMC Business - Location, location, location. That adage has stood the test of time and any realtor will tell clients that where they buy their home can be as important as how big it is, what it looks like and how much it costs.

Develop a list of "needs" and "wants" and try to match those up with the budget.

Here are some of the questions you will need to ask yourself to make your search easier.

1. What type of home are you looking for? If you want a larger home, you may need to look at the suburbs. If you want a big property with room to move around, you may need to consider a rural community. If you prefer the urban lifestyle, perhaps a downtown condo is more to your taste.

2. Do you need to be close to your workplace or are you willing to commute?

3. What is your main mode of transportation? Do you need easy access to public transportation or would you like to be able to walk to the corner store?

4. Do you need to be close to a major hospital, school or place of worship?

5. What activities are you involved in? Do you want the quieter lifestyle of a rural setting or do you prefer the action of a larger city?

This exercise will help the homeowners zero in on the neighbourhoods they might like to live in and eliminate the ones that don't meet their criteria.