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The amenities, features, number of bedrooms and floorplan you want in your home are important. But maybe even more important is where your home is situated. After all, location location location is the age-old answer to the question, “What is the most important factor to purchasing real estate.” In fact the best way to shop for a house is to start with the location and then create your house’s must have list. And your ideal location will directly reflect where you are in your life from a single person living alone to a family with young children to empty nesters. These factors are just a few to consider when looking for your perfect community.

School Options
If you have school-aged children or teens, you’ll probably want to check out the local private and public schools. You can check each school’s scores online and consider their proximity to potential homes you’re looking at. Is it close enough to walk? And if it is, is the walk safe with few large streets to cross? Will you need to drive a long way for classes and after school activities? Will you need a carpool?

General Demographics
Take a drive through your potential neighborhood to see if there are people living there with a similar lifestyle to you. For example, are there lots of children playing and riding bikes? This type of community might appeal to a family with young children, but maybe not as appealing to an empty nest couple looking for more adult neighbors. Single people looking for a more social environment may want to live alongside other singles and young couples.

Walkability
Many neighborhoods are receiving ‘Walk Scores’ meaning they’re being graded on a place’s access to restaurants, schools, shopping and medical facilities without the use of a car. Granted Southern California tends to lend itself to a car culture, but there are pockets of areas where having a vehicle is not as important for everyday activities.

Commute Time
Depending on which neighborhood you choose, you may end up with a longer commute than you have now. Really think this one through. There are some who believe the commute is necessary to live in a desirable location and have no issue with it. There are others who consider that extra time in a car as a terrible option! Be honest with yourself to see which side you lean toward because once you purchase your home, you will be committed to that decision for a long while.

Brandywine Homes’ neighborhoods run the gamut from quiet family-driven areas to more urban locales. Be sure to truly and honestly determine what is the very best location for you and everyone living with you. You may find the perfect house, but if it’s inconvenient to your current lifestyle, you may not be happy in the long run. On the upside nearly every area you consider will have lots of options for your dream house.