I have clients often ask me about the area around which a
home, city or community is like. Trulia
offers a wealth of information, when looking at a home in Trulia, be sure to
scroll down beyond the information concerning the home itself. You’ll see information on the schools within
the area; public record information on this particular home; property tax info;
sales history of the home; local info (I’ll elaborate on this shortly);
calculate an estimated mortgage payment; and price comparison.
Let's look into some of the tabs on the local info –
1.
Comparables – be sure to look at homes within
this list and find “true” comparables. In
other words, homes of very nearby location (same community is best); size of
home (bed/baths/square feet); features and upgrades if possible. If a home is within the same community but it
was a bank owned home or short sale with extensive repairs/investment necessary…
this won’t be a true comparable to a well maintained home that is a resale with
upgrades such as appliances, granite, newer a/c, roof, etc.
2.
Schools – By clicking on this tab, you can see
some of the local school ratings. You
can also check http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/
- for the accountability reports of specific public schools.
3.
Estimates – estimated values, however these are
automatically estimated and not accounting for condition of home, so use as a
source but not a true market analysis.
For an accurate market value of a home, reach out to your trusted
Realtor as he/she can use their knowledge/expertise to find true comparable so
you have a better idea of a more accurate value on a home so you can write an
appropriate offer.
4.
Crimes, amenities, and transit information
sometimes also available. Check the
local sheriff’s website for crimes and use other websites as additional sources,
here’s a couple examples - http://www.familywatchdog.us/Search.asp;
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/.
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