Finding the Right New Home Community for Your Family

When you have made the decision to purchase a home, the selection of the new home community is vital to your family’s long term satisfaction with the purchase. Many home shoppers tend to focus on the home features, price, and potential for resell without really stopping to consider the neighborhood surrounding the home. In your search for a home, be sure to spend some time researching the new home community so that you can make the soundest choice possible. 


Consider some of these pointers for finding the right new home community:

•    Know what you want prior to beginning the home search. Do you want to be on the edge of town? Close to Interstates? In a quiet subdivision? By stopping to answer some of these questions can help you to narrow down the selection of new home communities available to you. Consider if it is important to you to be near your work, church, or shopping and entertainment.

•    See new home communities for yourself. It’s one thing to see pictures on the Internet of a home or community and another thing entirely to actually see them for yourself. Once you have narrowed down the search to a few different new home communities, take drive through the neighborhoods to take a look. Your first impression or feeling when you arrive in the new home community will help you to know if it is right for your family. By driving through, you may notice parks, walking trails, and other neighborhood features that are appealing to you.

•    Identify the new home community features that are most important to you. Because a real estate search in one area can reveal so many active listings, it is wise to narrow them down by identifying the features you want in your home and community. Is the community swimming pool on your must-have list? What about lawn maintenance?

•    Think about the potential for resale in the new home community. While you may think you will be in your home for many years, life circumstances can change and you may need to resell. A local real estate agent is a good resource for learning more about the potential for resale in a specific new home community. However, just taking a drive around the neighborhood to see how many for sale signs are present is a good indicator of whether people are staying put in the community or leaving.


Most importantly, remember that your new home community is the place you will take strolls, allow your children to play and meet new friends, so it is important to have a good feeling about the location and features available. The new home community must fit in with your family goals and desires just like the home features should.