Do Schools Add Value to Homes?

Feeling the nostalgia of your high school graduation helps you understand why neighborhood schools should help you narrow down which home to buy.

Along these same lines having children is an incredible responsibility. No one knows this more than you and we all agree on the importance of a quality education. So, if you want to buy a home and you have children, you most likely are concerned with schools.

For home buyers without school age dependents, consideration of schools is still a priority for resale value.

So, how do you find out about schools?

At this point some people will tell you to ask your real estate agent. Even though I was a real estate broker and sales person I wouldn't recommend it. Why? Real estate agents know they can't possibly keep up to date with every last detail about local schools. Their job is to help you buy a house. Selling homes is their expertise. For determining the quality of schools, it is important to do your own research.

Thankfully, the amount of data available to us compared to when our parents were our age is impressive. However, prior to launching into an all-out search for homes, prioritize your wants with your must-haves.

Consider these questions. How important is it to be close to your child's school? This can vary greatly depending your family dynamics.

Is your child going to attend public school or do you intend to send them to a private or religious school?

In addition, school options can also include other types of schools. There are charter schools as well as alternative schools. There are magnet schools and there are some school districts that allow you to send your children to any school you select. Home schooling is a way of life for many families. Most likely you already have some options in mind.

In a word, when looking for information the obvious place to begin is the internet. It is incredible what you can find out these days. For instance, a site called Great Schools provides simple steps to get information about schools throughout the entire United States.

In short, one would enter an address of a prospective home to receive names of nearest pre-schools, public elementary schools, public middle schools, and public high schools. It offers charter schools sorted by closest to farthest away. In addition, it also includes a complete list of private schools. All this information is available by simply searching with the term "local schools" on the particular site.

Searching on the internet is merely the first step. But if you want to be thorough, there is no better way than to put on your hiking boots and head over to a school and check it out for yourself. You can tell a lot by simply observing.

Likewise, call the office ahead of time and make an appointment to talk to the principal. Ask questions. Call the school district. Explain your child's needs and request information about the school report card. What is an individual school's track record in test scores and do they provide orchestra, drama clubs, and sport teams. If your child has special needs ask how the school district accommodates those issues.

Naturally, I have discussed several ways in this article to search out school information when you are going to buy a home. But I still have one more idea and I think it is the most important. Word of mouth. The most qualified critics for schools are the parents who actually send their children to these schools. Local PTA organizations, babysitting coops, and sport teams are just a few ways to find parents to compare notes with.

Accordingly, if you already live in the area you intend to buy a home in you may already know the answers to many of these questions. If you are relocating to a different state where everything is new, take heart. One way to meet other moms or dads is through your real estate person. After all, your Realtor may be your only connection to a new community.

Again, when buying a house, schools are deserving of substantial consideration whether you have children or not. If you have children first determine your preferred choices. Then search out the school information using the internet, speaking with school officials, calling the school district, and most importantly asking the best critics of all, other parents.

Kate Ford, author of the entertaining and informative Get Your Best Mortgage Rate breaks through the mysterious code of mortgage lending. Find more of Kate's articles like this one at Compare Mortgage Rates

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.