IQ: Consumer Education at Educators

IQ Home Buying Guide

Part I. Planning—Doing Your Homework before Looking for a Home

Location, Location, Location

You think you just found your dream home and it’s also a bargain! Whoa! Why is it a bargain? Is it the neighborhood? The schools? Or the house itself? There are many factors that can affect the value of a home and also determine if the home is right for you.

The neighborhood, the area surrounding the neighborhood, the neighborhood schools, and the services provided can affect the value of a home. Here are some tips on how to find the best house that you can afford.

Drive around the area and get a feel for the different neighborhoods. Keep notes about what you like and don’t like about each area. Do you want a short commute to work? Kids to walk to school? Active homeowners association? Convenient public transportation? Make a list of what is important to you in a neighborhood. Specify what criteria are must haves (needs) and which would be nice to have (wants). Use the Neighborhood Needs vs. Wants worksheet as a starting point.

Zoning maps, land use plans, and comprehensive plans are just some of the documents that can help you check out an area. These types of documents can indicate what the plans are for development and growth in a particular area or neighborhood. If an area is just beginning to be developed, a zoning map can will indicate where the commercial and residential areas will be located. Use the following websites to checkout the communities in Educators seven county service area.

  • City of Burlington — planning and zoning is under Government.
  • City of Elkhorn — planning and zoning information is under Community Development located under City Services
  • City of Kenosha — planning and zoning information is under City Development
  • City of Milwaukee — the comprehensive plan is under Planning and Permits in the Department of City Development
  • City of New Berlin — planning and zoning information is under Community Development located under Departments
  • City of Racine — the comprehensive plan is under City Development located under Departments
  • City of Waukesha — planning and zoning information is under Community Development located under City Departments

For information on other communities in the area, check out these county pages:

For other areas of Wisconsin, visit the Wisconsin Counties and Wisconsin Cities, Towns and Villages pages which provides links to county and city, town and village governments.

The quality of the schools in an area can impact the value of your home. So even if you don’t have children, you should look at them. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction site is a good place to start. On the site you can find data about school performance and links to schools and school districts.

 

IQ Home Buying Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.


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