Four Tips for Researching Schools When Choosing a New Home

When buying a home, there are many factors to consider. If you are a first-time home buyer who is taking advantage of today’s low mortgage rates, you may not even think about some of the things that are important when choosing a home. For buyers with children or for buyers who are thinking about having children, the schools in the area are going to be a major consideration when choosing a home. Here are some tips to help you research various schools so you can find a home near a school district that is ideal for your kids.

1. Research some statistics online. There are several websites that offer a number of statistics about schools in thousands of cities across the nation. GreatSchools.org and SchoolDigger.com are two of the leading websites with statistics about test scores, parent reviews and more. The schools in the area you are researching are ranked from 1 to 10 so you can quickly find the best ones in the area for you.

2. Consider the traffic. Before making your final decision on a house, consider the traffic around your home around the start of the school day and the end of the school day. If you live too close to the school, it may be difficult to get out of your driveway for a couple hours of the day. You might always have kids cutting through your yard or playing around your house if you live too close to a school.

3. Find out about future plans. Is the school district that you will be living in planning on doing any redistricting in the near future? Does the district plan on closing or opening any new schools in the immediate area? You can usually find this information on the school district’s website. When a district announces plans to open a new school in the area, home values usually increase for a short time until a couple years after the new school is built.

4. Talk to parents in the area. You will find some of the most honest information about the school district by talking to the parents who have kids in the district. They can tell you what they like about the district and particular schools as well as some of the teachers and administrators. Many times, parents will tell you more information than you need to know if you just let them talk.

These are just a few ways you can research and learn about the school districts in the area surrounding your potential new homes. Spend some time learning more about the schools so your children will get a quality education once you move to your new home.