If you’re not familiar with neighborhoods in Orlando, you might have no idea where you want to live. However, this is an important part of your home search. There are several unique factors at play that could determine which neighborhood will be the best fit for you. This article will help you think about several key questions that will help you narrow down your choices as you consider various neighborhoods in Orlando.
1. What neighborhood amenities are available?
Many neighborhoods include shared community amenities that enhance your quality of life. For example, it’s common for neighborhoods to have parks with playgrounds or walking trails. Some neighborhoods may have pools, fitness centers, or fishing ponds. Perhaps you even find a neighborhood with a shared clubhouse or rec room where you can play games and connect with your neighborhoods. Even if you don’t use these amenities yourself, their presence will boost the overall value of your home and could recoup additional value for you if you resell your home later on.
2. What school district is your neighborhood located inside?
Like neighborhood amenities, the school district impacts the value of your home even if you don’t have school-aged children. It’s also an important factor to consider if you think there’s a chance you’ll start a family while living in the home. Some large neighborhoods may even have on-site schools within close enough proximity that your children can walk or ride their bikes to school.
Research the schools that your neighborhood is zoned for and learn about their average test scores and student-to-teacher ratios. You can usually find out what percentage of the school’s teachers have been with the school for longer than two years, and this statistic will give you a better idea of how many teachers remain with the district on a long-term basis compared to how much teacher turnover the school experiences.
3. What services are close by?
Imagine that you’re working on a recipe and realize you’re out of milk or eggs. How close is the nearest grocery store? It depends on where you live. Most people don’t want to live in a neighborhood where they have to drive twenty minutes to get to the nearest store, bank, or restaurant. Search for a neighborhood that’s also close to a pharmacy in addition to key emergency services like hospitals and fire stations. Not only will proximity to these services offer greater convenience, but it may hint at the area’s potential for future growth and development.
4. What’s the homeowners’ association like?
The local HOA is often the punchline of frequent jokes, but this underscores the fact that a strong HOA can benefit a neighborhood in several ways. For example, an active HOA will plan special community events around holidays that bring people together and boost the sense of community in the neighborhood. They also take on the responsibility of caring for neighborhood amenities to keep them in good condition for all who will enjoy them. Finally, they set certain standards for how homes and yards are maintained, which can boost the property value of all homes in the area.
5. How connected is the community?
One of the greatest benefits that a good neighborhood can offer is the chance to build strong relationships with those who live close to you. When you’re considering purchasing a home, you can meet the neighbors and hear what they like most about living in the area. They might have information to share with you about the previous homeowner and how they cared for the property. Once you settle into your new house, you can download a neighborhood app like NextDoor to stay up to date on local events and happenings. You may even get to know your neighbors on a personal level as you spend time outside working in your yard or playing with your kids outside.
6. Are there lots of trees?
7. Are you close to major highways?
Nobody wants to live right next to the highway. It can be a little noisy and may feel like you don’t have enough privacy. However, many people want to live close enough to the highway that they can easily get into town and move around the region. You can decide to go out to eat or head into town on a whim, and you’ll enjoy a shorter commute time that will enable you to spend more time at home relaxing with your family.
8. What will your resale value be?
More often than not, people prefer to purchase homes in well-established neighborhoods. You can’t predict with complete accuracy what your neighborhood will look like in the future, but you can do some research about recent sales in your area to get an idea of where your home’s value may be headed. Your realtor can help you find information about recent sales in the area and compare those numbers with how homes are performing on the state and national levels. You can also study numbers such as the average price per square foot or how close the final sales price was to the original asking price.
Nobody knows Orlando real estate better than
the Reeley Group. Wyatt and Diane Reeley seek to provide each client with exceptional service, and they hope to use their first-hand experience with personal relocation to make your long-distance move as easy as possible. Their many years of working in real estate have revealed several proven strategies they utilize to get the best deals for each client. They are looking forward to walking with you and helping you throughout your upcoming home purchase.
