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Are you just making the jump from renting to buying?  Or are you getting a bigger home because you’re planning to expand your family?  Whether your aim is to get a “starter” home or a long-term domicile, there are certain things that you need to look for, such as safety and basic amenities in your area.  If you have children, you might want to find out if there are good schools in the area.  If you’re a runner, you’ll probably want to know if there are any good trails around.  So keep the following things in mind when you’re looking at homes for sale.

1. Groceries.  This is the most basic thing that everyone needs to look for when buying a home.  You may not cook a lot but you’ll still need to have some groceries lying around, such as cereal for breakfast or frozen food.  If you like cooking, it might be important to you to have a good grocery store in the area, with a variety of produce.  If you have certain dietary restrictions as well, you’ll have to check for the availability of the things you can eat.
2. Shopping.  Other than groceries, there are certain things that everyone needs to have in their neighborhood.  The presence of a pharmacy means that you won’t have to go far to get medication and household things.  If you love shopping for clothes and jewelry, it helps to have a shopping mall in your area.
3. Restaurants, Bars, Coffee Shops, Movie Theaters.  If you’re a very social person, you’ll probably like to live in an area where there are many restaurants, bars, coffee shops and movie theaters.  So check to find out whether the area you’re thinking about buying in has many places to go out.
4. Schools and Playgrounds.  People who have children will want to make sure that the schools in the neighborhood are good ones, which you can do by researching them on the internet and asking other parents.  Playgrounds and parks are also an added bonus when you have kids.  You might want to find out if the area has mostly singles or families so that you’ll be able to take your kids out on play dates with other kids in the neighborhood.
5. Gyms, Trails, Pools etc.  If you’re into health and fitness, you’ll want to make sure that your new neighborhood has some resources for you.  Are there gyms or walking/running trails around?  What about pools or yoga/dance centers?  Some neighborhoods have more of these resources than others.

Contact us for more great tips on what to look for in homes for sale.