Five best locations to buy a home and why

<<>> 1. Select a location with water frontage. As the old saying goes, they’re not making anymore water front property. If you can find a home or a lot that offers Lake Frontage or river frontage that you can afford, this would be a good location to buy. If the lake is not polluted or something like that, this is one of the top spots to purchase a home. These types of homes are always in demand. Even when property values are decreasing, many times, if you have a rare piece of water frontage property, you can sell your home for nearly whatever you want, even when home values are decreasing. One thing to look for, though, is make sure your home is not located too close to the water or within a flood area.

2. Locations that offer private dead end roads. These types of locations are always popular and are always talked about by homes owners and buyers and is the reason why the owners of the home purchased their home in the first place. People are attracted to these types of locations for several reasons. First, if they have children or plan to have children, they wan't a place were their children can play and be safe. If they don’t have children, they want piece and quiet. Dead end roads that do not allow through traffic meets this need.

3. Locations with views of mountains, cities, rivers, lakes. Any homes with views of the surrounding area are in high demand. Sometimes, homes with these types of views are located on steep lots. Depending on the neighborhood, this may limit some of the potential buyers, as buyers with families might dislike a steep back yard, because it will be difficult to mow or play on. If you buy a spot like this make sure your view is not obstructed and the view is not a secondary view. Sometimes realtors claim to be selling a home with a view only to find out that the view is obstructed by something worse like transmission towers in your back yard.

4. Locations that are close to the city core, but offer small acreage parcels. This type of properties is one of the most sought after types of properties in the market today. Time after time, home owners will tell me they purchased this property because they wanted a county setting, but they want access to city amenities. Look for these types of properties and you’ve found a good property. Sooner or later, many of these properties change zoning and you may be able to subdivide your property.

5. Locations that are directly in the city with easy access to city life, stores, employment and popular schools. While some people like the country look, others want to be right in the middle of walking distance to everything. Many times, these buyers can get everywhere they want with a pedal bike. This is appealing to many older people and younger people alike. My experience has found that homes closer to the city core will hold their value more than other homes outside the city core, if they offer similar amenities and square footage. As gas gets more and more expensive and commuting gets more difficult, close proximity to restaurants, schools, work and play is appealing.