Survey finds homebuying in the right school district is elementary
Three out of five homebuyers looking to purchase a home indicated in a recent survey from realtor.com that school boundaries will influence their purchase decision.
Results from a July back-to-school survey show that 60 percent of the home-buying population prefer to live within a certain distance of school boundaries and would give up amenities such as access to shopping, and nearby parks and trails.
According to the survey, 90 percent said school-district boundaries are 鈥渋mportant鈥� or 鈥渟omewhat important.鈥�
An estimated 24 percent said they will pay one to five percent above budget for a home in the district of choice.
鈥淭he school district matters, and the neighborhood matters as well,鈥� said Jackie Fiano, a realtor with SWC Properties in Uniontown. 鈥淧eople search out a family-friendly neighborhood in a good school district.鈥�
For people with children, location in school districts remains a top priority in the housing market, said Tom Simon, real estate broker and owner of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in Belle Vernon.
鈥淥nce kids go back to school, September through Christmas is the second busiest time of year,鈥� said Simon of home purchases.
Of all the local neighborhood amenities that can influence a buyer蘑菇视频 decision to purchase a home, the National Association of REALTORS庐 (NAR) says proximity to good quality schools is one of the most influential.
According to NAR蘑菇视频 2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 29 percent of home buyers listed school quality and 22 percent listed proximity to schools as deciding factors in their home purchase.
Fiano said those without children also consider a school district location when they are purchasing a new home.
鈥淏uyers without children pay attention to the school district when they are keeping in mind resale value,鈥� Fiano said. 鈥淭hey are looking to the future, and knowing they are buying in a good school district could be another selling point for them if they ever decide to sell the home.鈥�
When evaluating a school district, lending experts recommend that home buyers take a look at the quality, age, and facilities of the schools themselves. They also recommend a look into how students perform on standardized tests and to check out the student-to-teacher ratio to see how much personalized attention the students receive.
The amount of spending per student at the school will tell how much of the budget is allocated for each student.
Most importantly, the experts suggest, talk to people who have lived in the area for a while and have children enrolled in the schools.
Experts further added data shows when housing markets go down, areas with high quality schools are more likely to hold their values.
Realtor.com offers the following tips when looking for home near the right school:
n Make a list of exactly what is needed in the family蘑菇视频 new home.
n Search for homes by the best schools with mobile apps.
n Look for parks and play areas.
n Make a list of questions for the realtor.