Neighborhood Information

Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Not just yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house; they buy the neighborhood the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood that wasn't to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."

So, you will need to make another list of what type of neighborhood you want to live in. You will most likely want to consider things like how living in the neighborhood will affect your drive time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming pool, tennis courts, park, etc.), and, if you have children who are attending school or soon will be, what school district you will be in and how close the schools are. You may even want to make two lists just as you did with your home criteria.

Your real estate agent can help you consolidate the information from your list of needs and wants for your home, your preapproval, and your list of needs and wants for the neighborhood. From this, you can incorporate this information into a broad search profile, which will then be narrowed down to specific areas dictated by the market in which you will be looking. Your agent's experience in local markets will be an invaluable resource during this step.

Area House Styles
The metropolitan area is known for its variety of housing. This section is designed to introduce some of the basic styles most frequently found in the area. Numerous variations and other unique styles not mentioned here are also available.

Cape Cod. A symmetrical peaked roof often with dormer windows which creates a one-and-a-half story design with living space upstairs in an “expansion attic”.

Colonial. A two-story design with center hall or side entry, often with basement. Variations often feature double or single wings with garage. Numerous styles include New England, Federal, Plantation, Dutch Colonial, Georgian, French Colonial.

Contemporary. Modern and non-traditional creation of living spaces using a spectrum of shapes, materials, and designs. An “open” use of space is characteristic. May be single or multiple stories.

Hi-Rise Condominium. Multi-story building with elevator access to owned apartments; monthly fee usually pays for use of recreation facilities, maintenance and utilities.

Low-Rise Condominium. A cluster of attached units, four stories or less ranging from converted garden apartments to ramblers and two-story townhouses. Resident owns title to living space while jointly owning public areas; condominium fee often covers maintenance, amenities, sometimes water; other utilities may be individually billed.

Rambler. A single-story house with all living areas on same level. Variations include L-shape or U-shape plan, perhaps with basement. Sometime called “ranch”; if it is small, a “bungalow” or “cottage”.

Split Foyer. Entry is between floors. Makes use of slope by placing basement partially above ground level on uphill side, thus basement becomes livable space. Also called “split entry”.

Split Level. Side wing has two levels off main ground floor; designed for maximum living space while occupying the least land. Garage and sub-basement are frequent options.

Townhouse. A row of two-or-three-story dwellings sharing common walls, also called “row houses”. Wide range of styles from contemporary to colonial. The term “semi-detached” describes a pair of townhouse end units; similar in function to a duplex.