Choosing an Orlando neighborhood to plant your roots and live out the rest of your life is a huge deal! Choosing the actual home in which you want to live is equally important. This will be the place where you and your family will create memories for many years to come.
Homebuyers need to consider many things before when deciding on which home to buy; like becoming part of a new community, so you need to make sure it’s a good fit. So how do you know if the neighborhood’s a good fit for you and your family?
Here’s a 5 step list to help you decide what Orlando neighborhood is right for you.
1- Make your wishlist:
Make a list of the things that would make your ideal neighborhood and put the most important items on the list at the top and things you could live without towards the bottom. Things like the commute to work and good schools always seem to rank highly for most people.
Having a list of what you don’t want is also helpful like; being too close to a highway or living across the street from Walmart.
2- Online Research:
Like everything else these days, start your research online. Take the list that you just made and Google it! Start by typing in things that are on top of the list and work your way down, “Orlando Neighborhoods with the best Elementary schools” or “Orlando best neighborhoods for pets”, you get the picture. Once you get a feel for the neighborhoods that interest you, you can use our Florida home search tool to see a list of homes are for sale in the area just like a licensed realtor.
3- Time To Visit in Person!
So you’ve done as much research as any one person can do on a computer, now it’s time to check out the area in person. Check out the local schools, supermarkets, and restaurants, and drive around the surrounding neighborhoods at different times of the day. Talking with some local residents will also be helpful.
Are there enough parks? Is there a park for your dog? Is the homeowners association controlled by robots? Can you see yourself living here for the next five, or ten years!!?
All of these are valid questions that you should be asking yourself.
4-What’s the local crime rate?
Ok so you like the neighborhood that’s good but we’re not done yet. It’s time to find out about the local criminal activity, especially if you have children. Visit sites like https://www.crimereports.com/ which offer really cool interactive maps where you can view crime data in real-time. Concerned about sex offenders? You should be, visit http://www.familywatchdog.us/ to get a list of registered sex offenders in the area.
You can even take things a step further by visiting the local police dept. and having a chat with one of the boys in blue.
5-Check local school ratings:
Whether you have kids or not, you need to research schools. It’s a known fact that school districts are usually the biggest beneficiaries of property taxes. In addition, schools that are highly sought after will typically raise the value of the surrounding homes. Check sites like greatschools.org/is a great tool for finding the best-rated schools in the area.
Finding that perfect home goes much deeper than what’s between the walls of the house itself. Take the time to do your research to make sure that the neighborhood you choose would meet all or needs, or at least most of them.
If you need help finding your perfect Orlando neighborhood, I’m happy to help. Call 407-902-7750 or visit https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/
