It’s Elementary, My Dear Watson

You are shopping for a new home.  You have gone to open houses and showings and you have found a house that meets all of your needs.   The home is close to your work, has nice parks and is in a great school district.  The offer is made, you close on the property, and you move in.  It is then that you learn that your perfect home is maybe not in the ideal neighborhood you thought it would be.  There is a constant police presence in your neighborhood because of a high incidence of crime at night.  Your neighbor rents his home to a bunch of frat boys and they have constant parties until dawn.  The friendly couple across the street has teenage boys who own muscle cars and the sound of drag racing can be heard for miles.   Your dreams of happily ever after have now become more of a nightmare, all because you didn’t do your homework before you bought your home. 

Before buying a house you need to look at all aspects of the neighborhood and not just the obvious things, like school districts and commute time.   In this day and age, you have to be a formidable detective, akin to Sherlock Holmes himself, and investigate the neighborhood using several different sources.  Check out the local newspapers, neighborhood blogs, or any number of apps to investigate what is around your house and pay special attention to any reports of crime in the area.   Another good idea is to talk to the neighbors.  Who better will know if the sellers have made any repairs to the home or if other neighbors on the block may be a problem?  One of the best things you can do is too make several visits to the neighborhood at different times during the day and on different days.  This is a great way to learn what an area is like and to see it for yourself.  You’ll hear the train whistles, see the activity with your own eyes and get a real sense if this neighborhood is for you.   It is better to learn the truth before the papers have been signed to avoid buyer’s remorse later.