^[2]Whether you’re buying a home for yourself or as an investment, it pays to research its surrounding neighborhood. Why? Because the quality of the neighborhood where your home is located will have a huge impact on your home’s appreciation as well as a huge impact on your sense of safety and your ability to enjoy the home. It’s a principle found in everything from stock investing (a stock’s sector affects its performance) to marriage (you marry a family, not just a person). You become like those you hang around and we want a home that “hangs around” in a great neighborhood!

“When you buy a home, you’re also buying the neighborhood it’s in.” – anonymous Realtor

Before you start hunting for an individual home in your personal quest for the American Dream ^[3], hunt for a neighborhood that meets your personal tastes and needs.

Characteristics of a Great Neighborhood

In part, the traits that make a neighborhood good or bad depend on your personal tastes and needs. You can evaluate different neighborhoods based on qualities such as: