Buying your first home should be an exciting time for a fresh start but oftentimes, first-time home buyers find themselves stressed out about finding the right location in New Jersey. Your NJ realtor understands the importance of finding the ideal location that best suits your budgets and personal needs. A few things to keep in mind when searching for the perfect location is the location of your job, how close you’d like to stay to your friends and family, the overall safety of the neighborhood, affordability, and the quality of the town’s school systems.
Jobs
If you’re planning on moving, it’s likely that you already have a steady job that you plan on staying at for a while. It’s important to move to an area where there are jobs available, such as in a nearby city, just in case you ever needed to find a new job. If you’re moving in with a significant other who works in a different location, you may have to meet in the middle when it comes to location so you both are traveling an equal distance – this is completely up to you and your loved one but is something to consider when searching for your first home.
Friends and Family
In 2011, the average first-time home buyer moved only 12 miles always from their previous home. Many people choose to stay close to their friends and family. You must take into consideration how far you from your loved ones you are willing to move before beginning to look at new towns or neighborhoods.
Safety
Safety is an extremely important aspect when searching for neighborhoods or towns. Take a look at online statistics and check out crime rates if you are unfamiliar with the area. Talk to people who live in the area to get a better idea of the safety of the neighborhood so you know what to expect.
Affordability
Affordability is one of the most important aspects of buying a home. You NJ real estate will not have you look at anything too far out of your budget but to get a better idea of what you can afford in different towns, be sure to browse the web – in 2011, 92% of first-time home buyers found their first home by browsing the web. Most sites allow you filter your search based on your budget and other aspects such as property type, location, number of bedrooms, and more. Every town and neighborhood may have different sizes and styles of homes that you may find affordable in that town, but would be out of your price range a few towns over.
School Systems
If you already have kids or plan on having kids in the future, it’s important to find a location with good school systems. See what public school options are available, as well as private schools, depending on your personal decision.
No town or neighborhood will be perfect but you can find locations that are ideal for you and your budget. You must outweigh the pros and cons of every property location and talk to your NJ realtor about each location. Your realtor has your best interest in mind and will do all that they can to ensure that you find your dream home in a great location.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
Heather Beleno is a writer who has contributed to hundreds of blogs, many about real estate.