When buying a home, one of the biggest challenges is finding a selection of quality houses to choose from. Since homes can vary dramatically, even those that are in the same neighborhood, it's important to have a method to separate the good houses from the best houses.
 
Related: Top Cities With the Most Millennial Homebuyers
 
Fortunately, whether you're buying land or a pre-built home, there are steps you can take to prevent buyer's remorse. To help you make a wise purchase decision, here are four ways that homebuyers can find top-quality real estate:
 
Check Out the Neighborhood
One way to find top-quality houses is to investigate individual neighborhoods that you're interested in. It's a good idea to visit potential neighborhoods at different times throughout the day so that you can discover if there are any major annoyances that would make a specific home a no-go. Plus, checking-out a neighborhood will give you a good idea of the friendliness of the neighbors, as well as provide insights into how well people take care of their properties.
 
Work With Your REALTOR®
Buyers of all experience levels can do themselves a huge favor by asking their REALTOR® for advice on a potential purchase. Keep in mind that your REALTOR® likely processes dozens of real estate transactions every year. This experience gives them unique insight into the best neighborhoods in the area. If you take the time to trust their wisdom and listen to what they have to say, you might find that you end up with a great piece of real estate.
 
Look Up Statistics
Once you choose a specific piece of real estate, you are, in a way, "married" to the neighborhood in which that real estate resides. Therefore, it's important to look up various statistics about that neighborhood to ensure it's a good place to live. Information on crime rates, income levels, school locations and much more is all freely available online. To help save yourself some time in your search, it's a good idea to look up these statistics before taking any further steps in case the statistics reveal something that disqualifies the neighborhood from your search.
 
Research Future Plans
Another piece of hard data you should consider is any plans that are proposed for your neighborhood. After all, you don't want to move into a new home, only to be surprised when a warehouse is built across the road. Use the website of your local property administrator to look up building permits to see if any are filed for your potential neighborhoods. If you do find permits, but they're for developments that add to the neighborhood, consider whether the temporary inconvenience of a construction site is worth the long-term gain of the new amenity.
 
In many ways, buying a home is a very emotional decision. It can be easy to envision all the future memories you'll make in your home as you look at potential properties. However, it's important to stick to the hard data when choosing a home, as this will help prevent a rash decision that you might regret later. By making the wise decision to do extensive research, you may become emotionally attached and be confident that you won't be heartbroken.
 
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She finds happiness in researching new topics that help expand her horizons. Looking to purchase a home in Idaho? Belnap recommends working with Keller Williams Realty Boise.
 
This article first appeared on RISMedia's blog, Housecall.

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