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<p><strong>Courtesy of Jimmie Van Hooser your REALTOR®  - 931-320-2142 </strong></p>
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<h3><strong>Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood</strong></h3>
<p><br /> Your neighborhood has a big impact on your lifestyle. Follow these steps to find the perfect community to call home.</p>
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<li><strong>Is it close to your favorite spots?</strong> Make a list of  the activities — movies, health club, church, etc. — you engage in  regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to  travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engage in your most  common activities.</li>
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<li><strong>Check out the school district.</strong> This is especially  important if you have children, but it also can affect resale value. The  Department of Education in your town can probably provide information  on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college,  and special enrichment programs. If you have school-age children, visit  schools in the neighborhoods you’re considering. Also, check out  www.schoolmatters.com.</li>
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<li><strong>Find out if the neighborhood is safe. </strong>Ask the  police department for neighborhood crime statistics. Consider not only  the number of crimes but also the type — such as burglaries or armed  robberies — and the trend of increasing or decreasing crime. Also, is  crime centered in only one part of the neighborhood, such as near a  retail area? </li>
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<li><strong>Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable.</strong> Check with your local city economic development office to see if income  and property values in the neighborhood are stable or rising. What is  the percentage of homes to apartments? Apartments don’t necessarily  diminish value, but do mean a more transient population. Do you see  vacant businesses or homes that have been for sale for months?</li>
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<li><strong>See if you’ll make money.</strong> Ask a local REALTOR® or  call the local REALTOR® association to get information about price  appreciation in the neighborhood. Although past performance is no  guarantee of future results, this information may give you a sense of  how good of an investment your home will be. A REALTOR® or the  government planning agency also may be able to tell you about planned  developments or other changes in the neighborhood — like a new school or  highway — that might affect value. </li>
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<li><strong>Make personal observations.</strong> Once you’ve narrowed  your focus to two or three neighborhoods, go there and walk around. Are  homes tidy and well maintained? Are streets quiet? How does it feel?  Pick a warm day if you can and chat with people working or playing  outside.</li>
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