Choosing the Right Neighborhood

Everyone knows that traffic in the Valley can be a nightmare at times.  And with the price of gas almost $4 per gallon it makes sense to choose a neighborhood close to your work and places you frequent often.  The other important consideration is the value of your time; after all every minute you spend in traffic is one less minute you have to spend with your family. 

Here are some tips to help you determine if the neighborhood you are considering will fit your lifestyle and the way you move around the valley.

• Use Google Maps or one of the other online mapping websites to check the distance and drive times from your perspective new home to work, family, church, and other places you will frequent after you move.
• Consider doing a test run to get a feel for traffic conditions in the area.  Try to do it during the same time you would normally being driving to work in the morning and evening, that way you’ll get a feel for the real traffic conditions you will encounter once you begin commuting from your new home.
• Look into the public tranportation available in the area.  Phoenix’s bus system, Valley Metro, has routes all over the valley and soon light rail will be available as well.
• Find out if any of your co-workers live in the area.  If so, there may be a possibility they will be willing to carpool with you, or they may be able to give you some insight into the best routes and times to travel.
• Is the home close to your favorite restaurants, places to shop, and entertainment spots.  Think about the places you visit frequently and check the drive time it will take to get there from your new home.
• Consider how far, or in some cases how close, family and friends will be from your new home?  If you visit loved ones frequently, more than a few extra miles of distance can add up to big dent in your wallet.

Think of it this way:

20 extra miles of driving per day over 5 days a week equals 100 miles per week.  If your car gets 20 miles per gallon that translates into 5 extra gallons per week.  5 extra gallons per week times 4 weeks per month equals 20 extra gallons per month.  20 extra gallons per month times $3.60 per gallon equals $72 per month spent on gas to cover the extra distance commuting to work. 

That $72 per month would probably be better in your pocket than the gas companies or even applied to your mortgage payment, possibly even allowing you to afford a higher mortgage payment.

Pretty common sense stuff but often over looked.

Ok, so I’m changing the order of the Choosing the Right Neighborhood Tips and adding a new tip.  As a father and long time resident of the valley this is something that is very close to my heart.  Summer is upon us and in Arizona that means backyard barbecues, trips to lake, tubing down the Salt River and lounging by the swimming pool and cooling off. 

But with summer comes the gut wrenching, heart breaking and almost inevitable chain of very tragic news stories like this one, Drowning Victim, 3 , is ID’d .  It goes without saying, or at least it should, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS WATCH YOU KIDS AROUND WATER!

Which brings me to Choosing the Right Neighborhood (or in this case home) Tip #3 - Swimming Pool Barrier Laws.  The Arizona Association of REALTORS® (AAR) Residential Resale Purchase Contract states in section 6g lines 217-220;

“Swimming Pool Barrier Regulations:  During the Inspection Period, Buyer agrees to investigate all applicable state, county and municipal Swimming Pool barrier regulations and agrees to comply with and pay all costs of compliance with said regulations prior to occupying the Premises, unless otherwise agreed in writing.  If the Premises contains a Swimming Pool, Buyer acknowledges receipt of the Arizona Department of Health Services approved private pool safety notice.”

Buyers, I hope you got that; per the standard residential purchase contract you are agreeing to investigate the laws, comply with the laws and pay all costs of compliance with the laws prior to occupying the premises.   Buyers must complete this investigation during the Inspection Period, typically the first 10 days from the date of contract acceptance.   

When choosing a home inspector, be sure to ask if they are up to date with the state, county and municipality Swimming Pool Barrier Laws for the area the home is located in.  Request that they put in writing their findings on the status of the home’s pool barrier.  If the barrier is found not to be up to code some of your options might be; request that the seller bring the barrier up to code, cancel the contract, or pay for the barrier to be brought up to code out of your own pocket. 

Arizona’s Swimming Pool Barrier Laws can vary from county to county and city to city.  At a minimum A.R.S. §36-1681 requires that all residential swimming pools are enclosed by a barrier.   The Phoenix Association of Realtors® has put together a brief summary of several county and city laws regarding pool barriers.   While this summary is not a complete detailing of the laws it is a good place to start.  The Arizona Association of Realtors® has compiled a list of Pool Barrier Law Contact Information to help buyers obtain a copy of the pool barrier law requirements that may affect the property being purchased.

Some last words of advice.  Do NOT count on barriers to keep children from reaching the pool.  No barrier is foolproof.  Barriers only slow a child’s access to the pool.  Do NOT be distracted by phone calls, doorbells, or chores while children are in the pool.  Attend CPR classes.  Lock passageways (such as pet doors) leading to the pool.  Never leave children unsupervised in the pool, around water, or inside the pool area - not even for a second!  No amount of water is too small for a child to drown in.

One of the more frequently asked questions I hear from people shopping for a new home is how safe is the neighborhood.  Thanks to the Internet there is a wealth of information at your finger tips to help you evaluate prospective neighborhoods.  

Crime statistics, while an imperfect measurement at best, nevertheless provide some indication of the level of criminal activity in an area.  To check the crime statistics for the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Surprise, and Peoria, go to www.faxnet1.org.   For other cities a visit or phone call to local law enforcement agencies may be required.  For a list of all Arizona city links go to www.azleague.org.  To find crime statistics on their websites you may need to search for “crime statistics.”    

Since June 1996, Arizona has had a registry and community notification program for convicted sex offenders.  This information may be accessed at www.azsexoffender.org.  Prior to June 1996, registration was not required, and only the higher-risk sex offenders are on the website.  

Driving through the neighborhood and the surrounding area is also recommended.  Look for things like graffitti, abandon homes or buildings.  Is the neighborhood well lit a night?  Speak with some of the neighbors to get their opinion of the community.    

I’m sure you’ve heard it before but it is worth repeating; buying a home is one of the biggest investments you will make in your life.  Spending some time before you by a home to learn about the neighborhood will give you the piece of mind to know that you are making a sound buying decision.

Read more Choosing the Right Neighborhood Tips.

Your neighborhood can have a big impact on your lifestyle.  Here is a list of several things you may want to consider when choosing the right neighborhood for you and your family.

1. Check out the school district.
2. Find out if the neighborhood is safe.
3. Commuting to and from work.
4. Is it close to your favorite spots?
5. Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable.
6. Home Owner’s Association rules.
7. Airport Flight Paths and Related Noise.
8. Environmental Concerns.
9. Make personal observations.

Over the next few weeks I will follow up with additional posts and go into more detail on each one of these areas but for now let me give you some resources you can use to examine the schools in your new neighborhood.

Although there is no substitute for an on-site visit to the school to talk with principals and teachers, there is a significant amount of information about Arizona’s schools on the Internet.  You can obtain information on the public and charter schools, such as; test scores, school ratings, state academic standards and educational resources.  For more information visit www.ade.state.az.us click on “Find a School”, select “Public School Search”.   From there you will be able to search for schools by name, city, county and zip code.                                               

The Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) advises: “Call the school district serving the subdivision to determine whether nearby schools are accepting new students.  Some school districts, especially in the northwest part of the greater Phoenix area, have placed a cap on enrollment.  You may find that your children cannot attend the school nearest you and may even be transported to another community.”                                                                 

Additionally, school attendance boundaries can change from year to year as population shifts in a community.  It is recommended to verify with the school that servers a community if there are planned boundary changes that could affect where your children will be attending school as a new student.

Additional websites that might be helpful;

www.schoolmatters.com

www.greatschools.net

Read more Choosing the Right Neighborhood Tips.