Narrowing Down Neighborhoods in your House Hunt
House hunting often involves more than just finding the right house. It’s more than just the structure and bones of the property, home is a feeling. You will likely spend a lot of time in the surrounding area as your new home, so it’s critical that we find you the perfect neighborhood. During different stages of your life you’ll be looking for different things, but it’s my job to help you verbalize those factors and prioritize which are the most important to you. Here are some factors you may not have considered:
New to New Orleans?
If New Orleans is new to you, it can be kind of complicated to navigate our fair city. Drive East to end up on the West Bank? Combined with the fact that New Orleanians aren’t keen on cardinal directions (it’s river and lake and not North or South), you’ll have a trying couple of weeks learning what’s up and down in the Crescent City.
If you’re here for work, you should start with planning a simple commute, and find something within that area. If public transportation is necessary you should definitely try to find something on the bus or streetcar lines.
Make a Pro & Con List
It’s absolutely crucial that clients make a pro and con list of things they absolutely have to have. I’ve already mentioned public transportation, but there are other things to consider. Do you absolutely have to be near a certain franchise of gym, perhaps where you have a membership already? Do you have health conditions that make it wise for you to be near a hospital? Do you need a certain cable or internet provider for work?
There are other things to consider as well. Perhaps you want a certain style of house, or something that feels antique. Maybe you want to live in a neighborhood that has lots of shopping and bars convenient, such as the Irish Channel Area of Magazine Street. A good idea is to look at your current neighborhood and figure out what is missing currently that you would like in the future, or would like to change.
Another aspect to think on is what you do not want in your neighborhood. Maybe you want peace and quiet, so you do not want to move into a traffic-heavy area. Your essentials should go at the top of your list and your non-essentials at the bottom. This will let you know what you can compromise on and what you cannot.
Family First
Obviously, when you have children there are certain requirements you want to look for in a neighborhood. For example, what are the schools like? If you plan to send your children to public school, this is a huge deciding factor in your neighborhood search. Other amenities to consider are parks and other places of recreation. Is there a safe place for you and your children to spend your time?
Visit the Neighborhood
One of the absolute best things you can do when narrowing down your search is to actually go to the neighborhoods in which you are interested. Talk to your potential neighbors. Things might look great on paper; however, they likely can give you insider knowledge. You will also want to pay attention to the buildings in the neighborhood. Are they well-kept or derelict? Are they occupied or abandoned? Is there an overwhelming amount of houses for sale? These are all factors to consider because they could be an indication of a neighborhood going downhill.
Get a Realtor®
Of course, I”m your best asset when it comes to your relocation to New Orleans. I’ve lived here my entire life, in a variety of neighborhoods, and I know how to find my clients exactly what they’re looking for. Contact me for any of your New Orleans area real estate questions!
And if you’re from here, feel free to rep your neighborhood and tell us why you love it in the comments below!
For Results Not Excuses,
Jennifer Fagan, Realtor®
Jennifer Fagan 