Your house would be absolutely perfect – except for your next door neighbor's 2am band practices and the family across the street's fondness of using your garbage cans when theirs are full.
There are some characteristics of a neighborhood that you just can't know until you move in, but there are many aspects of your potential home's location that you can scout out ahead of time – and that can save you from a lot of headaches later on.
Beyond more obvious signs, such as graffiti and run-down buildings, here are six red flags worth looking for if you are in the market for a new home.
1. Local Businesses... 2. Homeless Population in the Summer... 3. Empty Storefronts... 4. Police Presence... 5. Street Maintenance... 6. Neighborhood Activity...
A Disclaimer If you are looking for a home for a family of five, you may be more put off by a high homeless population than a working couple interested in living in a busy downtown core. None of these signs should immediately disqualify an area you are considering, nor should they cause you to run out and put your own home on the market...
The Bottom Line You can't change the location of your home once you buy it. A beautiful home might be tough to sell if the neighborhood isn't that great, so be careful where you choose. Everyone's definition of a bad neighborhood is different, but you can't go wrong looking for a neighborhood that is safe and clean.
