We find ourselves in the age of Super Moms and Dads trying to raise the world’s smartest kids. Getting a great education has become an obsession for most Floridian parents. Being a parent myself, I know first-hand how expensive it can be to send your kids to a good school. And I’m not even talking about college or private schools. I’m talking about top-rated public schools. In order to send your child to a top-rated elementary school, you have to live in that particular school zone which also means that you’re more than likely paying higher than normal housing costs. It’s been proven in Orlando real estate, that the price of Orlando homes found in the zones of higher-ranked public schools are much higher than other neighborhoods that are served by schools that are ranked lower.
As an Orlando realtor, one of the first questions that I get from home buyers with children is “How are the schools around here?” If you’re a good parent then a good education for your children should be at the very top of your list when looking for a place to live. I’ve seen people pay up to $50 more per square foot for a house in an excellent zone as opposed to a house in an average school zone.
Good News for Home-Buyers with no kids
There’s always a silver lining to every situation and this one happens to be dedicated to the home buyer without children. As parents of tomorrow’s presidents and scientists are paying more than top dollar to live close the best schools, home buyers without kids couldn’t care less how highly ranked the elementary school down the street is.
Homebuyers that aren’t concerned about school systems can get a lot more house for their buck while still living in a nice area. Just because the school systems aren’t the best in certain neighborhoods it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad place to live. Everyone just assumes that a better school district will automatically have bigger houses of much higher quality with larger lots, or a more prime location with views and quiet streets.
There are plenty of great Orlando neighborhoods where you can still get a nice home at a fair price. We’ve found homes just a short distance apart with nearly identical attributes that are selling for drastically different prices. And when you compare the difference in price per square foot at $50 less, that can easily translate into tens of thousands of dollars on the purchase of a house.
If you’re looking for a home to buy in Orlando, hire an Orlando Realtor to help you with your search.