If a potential buyer has a cap of say $500K to spend on a property and then discounts a zip code or neighborhood because they perceive it to be too near a fwy (subjective), has registered sex offenders living nearby, don’t “think” they’ll like the schools, perceive it to be “blue collar,” perceive it to be “too old,” only see “old people” when driving around, worry about nearby “shopping,” perceive it to be too “ghetto,” etc., then they may as well move to the middle of Montana because they won’t find anything in SD County that “meets their needs.”
Keep an open mind. Don’t “label” a community unless you have intimate knowledge of it. ‘Nuff said.[/quote]
I am not labeling anything, but driving through neighborhoods, at different times does give one a feeling if he would like it there. It is a perception, right? It may or may not be right. you can’t know it intimate until you live in it some.
I am sorry, but I do worry about schools some, because you don’t really know if you like it until you are in and bought, so then what do you do if you don’t like it. Sure APIs don’t tell the whole story, and personal stories are, afterall, personal, but it’s the best we can do.
And yes, if I perceive it as ghetto, see graffiti, lots of rusty trucks on the street I would disregard that neighborhood, because I know I won’t like to live there. I don’t need to know it intimately.
Old people don’t bother me, but since we are not that old and with kids, I would not buy in a retired community. I am not bothering with sex offenders, though may be I should.
If a neighborhood has significant noise from freeway, it will bother me, so I would discount it.
Nearby shopping is really nice, a plus, but not a requirement.
My point is, perceptions is often all you have, and you try to get as accurate as you can by seeing more/often the area. I wouldn’t eliminate anything without seeing. But commute will be a hard limit.
I am looking in several zip codes (limited by commute) – but I probably have to get somewhat lucky in some of them for 500K.
And if at 500K I don’t find anything to suit my needs, then so be it. Nothing wrong with renting – which you can do in nicer areas than you can buy in.
