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Cities & Neighborhoods

When buying real estate or even when considering selling a home, it is very helpful to know a little about the neighborhood and to think about what is important to one's own happiness. There are many things which influence both the sales price of a home and how much the owners enjoy it. The possibilities are almost endless. I've provided information about several of the areas which are important or useful to homeowners and residents.

Within a city, neighborhoods can vary significantly. Often school boundaries affect the desirability. The age and size of the houses, traffic patterns, sources of noise, and access to both shops and public places can have a major impact.

Schools

Education is quite important to families with children. Cities having top rated schools in general attract well educated, successful parents. This in turn helps those local schools achieve better student test scores. The desirability of highly rated schools and of successful neighbors pushes the sales price of the homes higher.

Libraries

Libraries appeal to all ages and all economic groups. Even with widespread internet access to information, libraries attract many people.

Parks

Parks appeal to people for many different reasons. Many local parks appeal to people with children and to people participating in group sports. Larger parks provide nearby space for hiking, picnicking, nature study, and even camping. Most parks are open to everyone but some, such as Palo Alto's Foothills Park, have a history of being only open to city residents.

City Government

Most homeowners will at some point contact their city building department to either obtain a building permit or to check if work which was done to their home was done with a permit. In addition the city planning department can provide information about easements and restrictions. Although flood zones are most important to federal agencies, many cities provide information about flood zone boundaries.