There is much more to buying a home than choosing the right features. The location of your new home is just as important, as it’s where you’ll be choosing to spend most of your time. It may be difficult to pick the right area or neighborhood when home searching, but there are some key things to search for. Here are some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when finding a new home location:
If you want to be close to the action—and essential services like grocery—factor the distance from your potential home into your decision. Is a car required to get to amenities and services or are there places you can walk or bike to? Is there public transportation between your home and commerce centers? These are solid questions to ask when evaluating a potential new home location.
Many homeowners prioritize proximity to recreation, dining, grocery and shopping in their decisions, but the opposite may also be true. Maybe you want to be far away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and being next to a major shopping center is unappealing. Regardless of your preference, this is an important factor to consider.
If you have children in your household or are planning to have them in the future, you should also consider school information in your decision. Research what school districts are in your potential new home’s area and whether it’s possible to transfer between them if desired. Most home seekers prioritize access to the best possible opportunities for education. This can include pre-schools, elementary schools, middle and high schools. It may also include community colleges for adult education opportunities. Keep school information in mind when deciding on your next home’s location.
There is a lot that goes in to evaluating a new living location. These are just two major things to look for and keep in mind during your search. The more you can find out about an area, the more confident you’ll be in your decision.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
