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Choosing the right neighborhood to live in is not unlike choosing a future spouse. Of course you need to feel a physical attraction, but there is much more to living happily ever after than just good looks. Don't just rely on a few short visits with the Realtor in tow to know if a neighborhood is the right fit for you and your family. Instead, investigate it thoroughly. Here are some things you may want to look at before making one of the biggest commitments of your life.

Crime

You need to feel safe in your home, so it is important to know the crime rate of the neighborhood you are looking at. You can get these statistics by contacting the local police station. If you have kids, you also need to find out about any sex offenders living in the area. However, this doesn't guarantee that no one will move in later, so you will want to check this regularly. Familywatchdog.us offers a service that will email you if the results for your area changes.

Noise/ Traffic

Test drive the route you will take to work in the morning and the evening before you decide on a neighborhood. There may be hidden traffic problems that only come out at certain times of day. In the same vein, be sure to visit the home you are thinking of living in at various times of the day and evening to assess possible noise problems.

Environmental Hazards

Nearby factories, refineries or landfills can cause smells, or air pollution that are harmful to your health. Check with local environmental groups to see if they have issued warnings for your area. The sellers are legally responsible to disclose this information to you, but that doesn't mean that they always will.

Schools

Because of the "No Child Left Behind" act, state education agencies are required to evaluate schools based on their performance on state standardized tests. This information can be found on their websites. However, don't end your scrutiny there. You may want to visit the school themselves, or at least their websites so that you can evaluate the variety of their extracurricular activities, sports and arts programs.

Home Owners Association

Having an HOA may be a plus or a minus for you. Either way, if you will be a part of an HOA, investigate it thoroughly. Rules are often made on what kind of car you can park in the driveway, if you can put a swing set in your backyard, and even if you can ever rent the house out. Ignorance is not accepted as an excuse for not following the rules and breaking them can result in hefty fines.

Nearby Amenities

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