Knowing the best time to buy a home can be tricky but analytically speaking, there are two days of the year that will definitely give you an edge as a home buyer! With Spring officially here, the hustle and bustle of a busy selling season is right around the corner and so is one of the best days of the year to make your move on a new home.
Walkability
If being able to walk around and explore your area on foot is important to you, make sure that you check out Walk Score [https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and- neighborhoods/] to see how your ideal neighbourhood stacks up against other before you commit.
School Zones
When you have children or are considering children, school districts are an incredibly important criteria when looking for a new home. While test scores and performance are obviously important, remember to look into the parent council, the school’s social media presence and better yet, stop by for a tour in person. Consider special programming and what other schools are in the surrounding areas. Homes within popular/impressive school districts can often lead to higher prices so be prepared in advance if this criteria is important for you!
Transit Accessibility
Not nearly enough people consider public transit access when they buy a home, especially in the Windsor-Essex area. It’s always a bonus to live in a neighbourhood where the system works for you, especially if you rely on it as your main mode of transportation. If you take transit regularly, look into whether or not there’s a backup if one bus is delayed/down, find where the stops are and look into what time of day/night the bus(es) run. Even if you don’t rely on it as a main form of transportation, ask yourself if it can get you to work in an emergency or if you can hop on anytime you decide to cut back on your gas budget.
Taxes
Property taxes and sales taxes can vary widely by area and are often require serious consideration. Don’t forget to do your research so a good deal up front doesn’t turn into a big investment down the line.
Fun
While most criteria are serious and require extensive research, don’t forget that you won’t just be perpetually in transit for the rest of your life, you’ll actually be living in this home so make sure the neighbourhood vibe works for you. Look into what’s fun and exciting in the area before you make any big decisions!
Crime
All it takes in this day in age is a quick Google search and you’ll find out exactly whether a particular neighbourhood is safe. Using a tool like CrimeReports [https://www.crimereports.com/], you can get an inside look into crime reports in a particular area. Want to take it a step further? It also helps to ask current residents in the area face-to- face to ensure that you get information right from the source.
