Use These Tips to Scout Out Your Perfect Neighborhood 

Looking for a home in Las Vegas? As you compare different listings, you probably have a lot of factors to consider, but ultimately your new location has to be the right place for you and your family. Our real estate agents can help you scout the most promising places to live, but here's a hint: it helps to start with a buyer-friendly neighborhood. After all, location is everything, and you want to make sure your new home checks off all the right boxes: comfortable, safe, and a wise place to make a long-term investment.

Here are five of our favorite signs that a Las Vegas neighborhood is buyer-friendly:

1. Low Crime Rates
   Crime maps and sex offender registries should be available for every neighborhood. Before you fall in love with a Las Vegas home, take advantage of these free online resources to investigate the safety of the surrounding areas. Better yet, start with these maps and listings, and set your own limits for violent and non-violent crime. Your real estate agent can help you narrow your search to neighborhoods that have very few – or no – recent incidents.
   
   
2. Walkable Streets
   Sidewalks, lights, and visible crossings are just a few of the factors that make a neighborhood more pedestrian-friendly. Many real estate websites list the local Walk Score, which measures overall walkability to and from a specific house. Of course, it's also helpful to see for yourself. Neighborhoods with parks, low-traffic streets, plenty of public transit stops, and central public spaces score higher on this index, but you may not want everything that comes with a high Walk Score.
   
   
3. Residents Who Stay Put
   Have you found a neighborhood with lots and lots of Las Vegas homes for sale? There might be a reason everyone's leaving. Lots of "for sale" signs can mean lots of things, but it's important to take note and look into local trends just in case crime rates are rising or home values are plummeting. On the other hand, if you meet neighbors or pull up sales records and find that the majority of residents are staying put for years at a time, it's a good sign that this is a good place to settle.
   
   
4. School District with Good Ratings
   Nothing says "buyer-friendly" like being zoned for a highly rated school. Las Vegas homes in high-performing public school districts come with a free first-class education for every child in the family. They also tend to be in family-friendly neighborhoods with other nearby amenities that will come in handy, like grocery stores, movie theaters, and parks. Even if you don't have kids, a great school district is great news for the current and future value of your home. Many buyers don't even consider listings in sub-par districts, and others expect to pay less to off-set the cost of private school tuition.
   
   
5. Long History of Family Homes
   Buying a house is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make. If you don't want to take a gamble on an up-and-coming community that may or may not thrive down the line, make sure you purchase in a stable, established neighborhood. Are there well-kept, historic properties in the area? How big are the trees? Does this neighborhood have a long reputation as a nice place to raise a family? Historic and mature neighborhoods are appealing for their look and feel, but they also offer more peace of mind for new buyers.

Are you interested in buying a home in Las Vegas? Contact Wardley Real Estate for help and advice as you begin your search for the perfect buyer-friendly property.