“I want to buy my first home soon. I definitely dont want a condo and I cant afford house in a very good neighborhood. I want to find an area thats getting better, not worse. So how I can tell if a neighborhood is improving?”
***ANSWER:
Great question. Most of the tips I can think of are ones you may have come up with already…
1. Look for a lot of homes being remodeled and added onto.
2. Look for big-name-brand stores opening in the area. (A clever tip from a lady who took one of my real estate classes: when the 1st Starbucks opens in a neighborhood it means the area is getting better!)
3. Look for renovations of shopping centers.
4. Check with police for crime trends.
5. Check with local residents and business owners and ask their opinions.