For many homeowners, the neighborhood a home is in can be as important as the home itself. But how can you make sure a community is a good fit for your family? With the right amount of research, you can get an inside look at a neighborhood to make an informed home-buying choice.

Evaluating Safety For many people, neighborhood safety is the top concern when purchasing a home. Luckily, there are a number of online resources that make it easy to see just how safe a certain area is. My Local Crime can provide a list of nearby incidents for a particular address, while websites like Zillow, Trulia and Neighborhood Scout offer crime maps to show the density of different types of crime in different areas. Additionally, the National Sex Offender Public Website can be a useful resource especially for parents.

Finding Good Schools Another concern for many parents is the quality of schools in an area. Again, websites like Zillow, Trulia and Neighborhood Scout can be a big help, as they include nearby schools to give you a better lay of the land. From there, you can research the schools themselves at Greatschools.org to drill down into the specifics.

Other Attractions Beyond safety and schools, you should be aware of other venues youll have access to. Nearby attractions can not only improve your quality of life, they can also improve the value of the home for resale down the line. From restaurants to shopping, a quick Google Maps search can tell you a lot about a neighborhood, as can Zillow and Trulia. If being able to walk to the places you love is high on your list, be sure to check out Walk Score.

Trusting an Expert The right real estate agent can make a huge difference in helping you find the right neighborhood. At Benchmark, our agents are committed to knowing the market and being the number one resource for their clients. Contact your local Benchmark office to get started.

If youre an agent looking to join a team that provides the best for their clients, then you might just be a fit for the Benchmark team. Take our quick online assessment today.