When we buy a new home, we can remodel the inside, put in new landscaping and so on, but we can’t move the house to a new location. Therefore, we should try to find a home in the best location. Some of the factors in the search should be: Finding a home where the other homes are well-maintained. Finding a property that is known for having good schools. Locating a home that does not have aggravating noises and people constantly hanging out on the street corner. Avoiding a house on a busy street and trying to find one that is located near streets that lead to your place of employment with the least hassle.

When we purchase our home, the location was great. The schools were good; it was close to work; the homes in the neighborhood were well-maintained. The house itself had some problems. A real no-no was the fact that to get to one of the bedrooms, one had to walk through another bedroom. The kitchen was narrow and there was only a narrow place to put a table. We waited for a year or so after buying the house and then started our improvements. We created a hallway so that bedroom could be reached without going through the other; we built out the kitchen and created a beautiful kitchen eating area. We refinished the hardwood floors; we repainted; we upgraded the bathrooms; we built out the master bedroom and more.

My advice is to avoid looking at homes in inferior neighborhoods and also, not to avoid purchasing a home that may need improvements…as long as it’s in a good location.