Jen's Intown Living Blog

Where do you want to live?  Everyday events give me thoughts for my blog posts. Today I put over 150 miles on my car in Atlanta showing homes.  That's a lot for a metro area and more than I normally do. I was showing homes to out of state buyers who found homes on-line that they liked.  I showed them homes on Tuesday after they came to my office and met with our in house lender to get pre-qualified. Today we looked again in another area but we were all over the place. The houses were similar in size and lot size (over 5 acres).  The challenge was that the buyers hadn't determined where they wanted to live. It's pretty easy to find homes with similar qualities but remember real estate is all about location.

So how do you determine where you want to live?  

1. First of all, determine the state. It doesn't matter why you pick it, just pick one. I would suggest comparing property tax rates, income tax rates and climate for starters.  (My buyers were trying to choose between Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.)

2. Next determine a location within the state. What's important to you? Is being near major sporting events a big deal or is being away from traffic and the hustle and bustle of the city more important?

3. Many people move somewhere for a job. If that's the case, obviously being convenient to work makes a a difference.  If you're a retiree then that's not a factor.

4. Speaking of retirees, pick a place that has good medical care near by, just in case. 

5. What are your hobbies? Pick a place that makes sense for that. If you enjoy boating, choose an area near the lake like Lake Allatoona or Lake Lanier. 

6. Check out the local government websites.  Review the minutes from the last board meetings.  That can provide a lot of insight into what's happening in an area. 

7.  Ask people, anywhere and everywhere.  People love to give their opinions.

8.  Schools are important, even if you don't have children in school.  Why? It matters for resale.  Even if you don't plan on selling, plans sometimes have a way of changing.

If all else fails, open a map book, close your eyes, circle your hand around and land on a spot on the map.  That's how I ended up in Atlanta 14 years ago.  It worked for me.

If you're thinking of buying or selling a home in metro Atlanta call Jen Bowman, Broker Associate with Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners at 404-456-5024.