BEFORE YOU BUY
1. Decide where you want to live. A suggestion is to bring with you a list of things that you would like to have in your new neighborhood and home
and decide on the ones that you must have and the ones of lesser importance. It is also a good idea to walk or drive through the neighborhood both during the day and during the night. What may be quiet during the day, may very well be busy at night.
2. Check what the schools are like and are they nearby? If you are a single person, this may not have any importance to you; however, if you
currently have children or are thinking of having children, you may want to find out about the school districts on the local school district web site or by going to: http://iirc.niu.edu/ for detailed school comparisons. Otherwise, you can contact the local schools directly for information.
3. Does the home have resale value and how important is it to you? Although we think that a home is an investment that will grow in value over the years, this is not always a guarantee. A mansion in a neighborhood of small homes will have a lower resale value than a small home nestled amongst larger and more affluent homes. You need to ask yourself how long you plan to reside in the home and if resale value is of importance to
you.
4. What is nearby and what do you need to be nearby? Depending on your situation you may need to be close to your workplace, close to
parks, schools, shopping, golf courses, etc. or you may need to be in a close proximity to a highway or interstate. Remember the old but true
saying, "Location, location, location".
5. What are the average taxes for the area to where you are planning to move or relocate? Check with your Realtor or the County Tax Assessor
to see when the taxes were last assessed in the area. Based on the taxes, you may decide that the area is too expensive to move to.
1. Decide where you want to live. A suggestion is to bring with you a list of things that you would like to have in your new neighborhood and home
and decide on the ones that you must have and the ones of lesser importance. It is also a good idea to walk or drive through the neighborhood both during the day and during the night. What may be quiet during the day, may very well be busy at night.
2. Check what the schools are like and are they nearby? If you are a single person, this may not have any importance to you; however, if you
currently have children or are thinking of having children, you may want to find out about the school districts on the local school district web site or by going to: http://iirc.niu.edu/ for detailed school comparisons. Otherwise, you can contact the local schools directly for information.
3. Does the home have resale value and how important is it to you? Although we think that a home is an investment that will grow in value over the years, this is not always a guarantee. A mansion in a neighborhood of small homes will have a lower resale value than a small home nestled amongst larger and more affluent homes. You need to ask yourself how long you plan to reside in the home and if resale value is of importance to
you.
4. What is nearby and what do you need to be nearby? Depending on your situation you may need to be close to your workplace, close to
parks, schools, shopping, golf courses, etc. or you may need to be in a close proximity to a highway or interstate. Remember the old but true
saying, "Location, location, location".
5. What are the average taxes for the area to where you are planning to move or relocate? Check with your Realtor or the County Tax Assessor
to see when the taxes were last assessed in the area. Based on the taxes, you may decide that the area is too expensive to move to.