Things You'll Need:
- Real estate agent
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Step 1
Know what you are looking for in a home and neighborhood and identify your price range before you begin your search. By evaluating what you want ahead of time, such as number of bedrooms or a swimming pool, you can prevent wasting your time and the time of your real estate agent while searching. Making a list of the features that are most important and those that are least important can help you put your housing needs into better perspective.
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Step 2
Contact the local police department and ask which parts of town have the lowest crime rate. Police departments are accustomed to answering this question and many even provide printouts of city maps detailing the crime rates throughout varying sections of town for individuals considering moving to the area. In many cases, this information is available online and the local police department can guide you to the proper Web site to access local crime maps (See Reference 1).
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Step 3
Visit Greatschools.net to check the statistics of the different schools in your town. The Greatschools Web site compiles information on student statistics, test scores and student-teacher ratios. Each school is then assigned a performance score based on the data. Even if you do not have children, the school district that you live in affects the resale value of your home (See Reference 2).
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Step 4
Check Zillow.com for available homes, pictures and background information. Zillow allows potential buyers to isolate homes for sale on a map according to the area. This method will allow you to cross-reference homes for sale with the crime rate and school district of given neighborhoods. You also can view the prices, square footage and comparable homes recently sold in the area to make sure you are getting a good deal.
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Step 5
Contact a real estate agent. A real estate agent can do more than facilitate the home-buying process. A good agent will take your needs into consideration and help you locate the right house in the right neighborhood for the right price.
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Step 6
Expect to compromise. To purchase a house in a low-crime neighborhood that is part of a good school district, you may need to pay more than you had originally planned. You also may find the perfect house but discover that it is not in the best part of town or lacks some of the features you had hoped for.
