Real Estate - Where You Should be Buying Today

by Kamau Austin

Published on this site: May 6th, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Today, when considering the purchase of real estate, not only are the price range, condition and investment important, but so is the location. The location of your real estate property is a critical part of the puzzle because it is where you will live with your family or where you will rent or sell the investment to another family.

Many people have a hard time deciding where to buy a home. Do you want to live in a big city, in the country, or in a smaller town or suburb? The answers to these questions lie in whether you want to live in a big city where there is plenty of nightlife, a small town where everyone knows everyone, or something in between. Consequently, finding the right location to purchase real estate can be difficult.

When you begin to think about where you want to purchase your real estate property, you must first consider a general location. This will be a personal preference. Do you want the hustle and bustle, noise, and the faster pace of life that comes with life in a big city or would you like to live in a quiet corner of the country where there is little noise and where people live at a slower pace. Maybe you want something in between. Determining your preference is the first step you should take in deciding where to buy real estate.

Once you have decided on the general area, you can then compare a list of cities that are located within that area. Look at the cities closely. What types of schools, libraries and churches are available in each town? Is there a hospital or doctor close by? How far is it to neighboring cities? What is the population? You may even want to go visit your chosen town for a few days to actually see what is available and to determine if it would be somewhere you would want to live. Once you have decided on a city, you are ready to begin seeking your property.

Today, many people are leaving the bigger cities and seeking homes in the suburbs. A lot of people work in the big cities, but when it comes to owning a home, they prefer the quiet life of a smaller town or the country. In the larger cities today, the crime rate is rising, the noise and pollution levels are exceeding reasonable limits, and the cost of living is rising. Therefore, the idea of a quiet life without the threat of crime, noise, pollution or a rising cost of living is understandably attracting people from all walks of life all over the country.

According to Money Magazine, the best places to live in the United States are the smaller towns that are the suburbs of large cities: Moorestown, New Jersey; Bainbridge Island, Washington; Harperville, Illinois; Vienna, Virginia, and Louisville, Colorado (www.cnnmoney.com). In fact, no large cities were mentioned in the 100 best places to live in the United States.

Buying a house is difficult. However, by defining and analyzing the location where you would like to purchase real estate, some of the difficulty can be eliminated. Finding the right location is just as important as the cost, maintenance, investment and closing. Be sure you choose a location that best meets your needs.

Resources:
http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/ CNN Money Online. Retrieved April 1, 2006.

Kamau Austin is publisher of Montclair411, a real estate blog focusing on homes for sale or rent, real estate trends, & market information in the
greater Montclair New Jersey area. Visit his website at: http://www.Montclair411.com . He is also the author of the book, Always on Top, Get Your Website on Top of the Search Engines Every Time.