Deciding on a New Place to Live? Pick Your New Apartment Based on the Following 10 Criteria

A home's where the heart lives, but what when your heart does not know where it wants to live? To give you more of a context to carry out this important decision, we're offering you this guide of the most vital factors needed to help you find a home that fits the requirements of your household.

1. Taxes

This is an important aspect to think about when you're picking a location to live. The Tax Foundation estimates the local state tax responsibility made up of the portion of revenue that taxpayers shell out for local and state taxes. Their most recent report from 2009 concludes that residents of New Jersey must put the most towards taxes and Alaska’s inhabitants put the least towards taxes. 40 states offer homestead exemptions and property tax credits that could grant homeowners some extra tax relief as well. Review the local income tax, sales tax and tax exemptions and credits as you are searching for the best place to reside.

2. Affordability

No matter how much you make, your first concern should be living comfortably and within your capacity. Affordability involves more than just housing costs; the cost of consumable goods such as groceries, shift significantly from city to city. The cost of gas and utility services such as water, electric and taxes varies as well.

3. Work Opportunities

Work opportunities changes from town to town and state to state, so invest some time in reviewing the job availabilities in various areas within the country. Begin by examing quality work options in your field and then figure out where the greatest concentration of such jobs exist. Salary.com allows you to compare income rates for different careers around the nation. Salaries are typically reliant upon the job's location. A marketing manager position could have a great salary in San Diego, but the price of upkeep is extremely high in Southern California. Perform your due diligence before your move, and if you can, secure a role before you move.

4. Real Estate Value

Due to purchasing a home is one of the greats investments you'll most likely need to make, it's beneficial at least to consider this aspect. Because of the nature of the real estate world, it’s vital to look into the factors that affect prices, the resale prices of houses, how long different houses have been on the market and the potential long-term evaluations.

5. Crime Statistics and Rates

No one is looking to spend any length of time in high-crime areas, but this does not mean you'll find a utopia where crime doesn't occur. When you take the time to research these statistics and rates in various regions, you're able to further understand the safety of a neighborhood or town.

When you've made your final decisions about the location, go by the local police station and talk to them about the area. The police won't mind discussing any of your concerns. You could also review Crime Reports. These accounts allow you to check crime statistics for various neighborhoods.

6. Vicinity to Friends and Family

If living near your extended friends or family is an important factor for you, pick an apartment either within a moderate distance by plane or within driving distance. This way you'll avoid feeling constantly torn like you're spending all of your vacation energy and time shuffling to and fro to visit family and friends.

7. Climate

I was raised in New England and swore up and down that one day I would flee to a warmer environment. I despised winter so much. I had the feeling that I would enjoy dry and hot environments, so for my entire adult life, I've lived in New Mexico and California, away from any bugs, snow or humidity.

The temperature plays an enormous factor in our lives due to how it influences our behavior, hobbies and perhaps even our career. Residing in a place where you're most comfortable adds to your overall mental health, so pick with caution!

8. Educational System

The right education is vital in setting up kids to handle the remainder of their lives better, so the significance of proper schools can't be repeated enough.

My parent decided on the city where we resided due to the reputation the public system earned. Some of my friends who moved to the Midwest from California did so in order for their kids to be enrolled in better schools.

Nonprofit sites such as GreatSchools are an excellent source for parents that want to choose the perfect school for their kids. The condition of the public school will have an effect on your finances as well. This is because the tuition for private schools can be very pricey.

9. Culture

When you're looking for continuous cultural excitement, you should definitely take a look into areas that have many cultural provisions. While I was living in Los Angeles, I had the chance to see operas, concerts, plays, sports teams, and musicals at any point in time. I took complete advantage of the cultural scene in Los Angeles’ as I resided there, but I have grown less active throughout the years. Because I live in New Mexico now, the choices are a lot more limited for cultural experiences, but this is alright with the lifestyle I live in now.

10. Public Transportation Choices and Commute Time

The expansive extension of the suburbs around metropolitan residential areas has made the commute time in a lot of areas unbearable. A study released out of Sweden shows that long-distance commuters can potentially have a higher chance of getting divorced. The amount of time it necessitates to drive to work could be the determining factor with your decision to relocate to a new apartment.

In Summation

The truth of deciding on a new apartment to live in involves an enormously large number of aspects that all compete for your focus. For your search to be profitable, you need to figure out what's most crucial for you by performing the proper research and stay vigilant during the search until you've found the ideal apartment.