1 – Location, location, location
Depending on your lifestyle and your preference for the warm climate of Florida, or the cold climate of New England, location is the key.
Proximity to your place of employment, and closeness to schools, is another consideration. The nearness of your home to places of business, particularly supermarkets, restaurants, and healthcare professionals, may be important to you.
2 – Schools/Jobs
For families of school-age children, a good school district is as important as location. For single home buyers, a place to work is on the top of the list. Buying a home where the opportunities for finding a job in your field are excellent is another consideration.
3 – Price
1- how much of a house you can afford
2- has the median price of homes in the area risen or plummeted
4 – Quality of Life
There are several factors to take into consideration in this area.
crime rates
pollution, air and water quality
opportunities for healthy living (parks, walking, hiking and biking trails)
5 – Appealing
Beauty is in the eye of the homebuyer. Whether you prefer the rustic feel of the countryside in a home, or the urban feel of the young and hip crowd, it can be the deciding factor in where you choose to live. Do you want a lot of space to plant a garden with flowers and vegetables or a large porch?
The top 100 small cities to live in, according to CNN Money ranks Eden Prairie, Minnesota as number one. It has everything most people look for in a good place to live, except a major downtown area, but for football fans, it does have the Minnesota Vikings.
The best way to determine where to look for buying a home is to research several cities and towns, according to your wants and needs, and you will be ready to go house hunting.