Where is My Neighborhood?Where Are The Best Canadian Cities?Also see Best US Cities Data is for 2009/2010) All of us usually have the choice of where we live as far as the neighborhood is concerned. Sometimes we may be able to choose the community, city, town or village. Some of the larger cities (certainly Toronto does this) publish yearly a small book rating the various neighborhoods of the city according to a long list of factors including: availability of transit, libraries, schools, various crime rates, affordability of housing, parks, and all those things that make a neighborhood pleasant in which to live. Location, Location, Location!Two identical homes can be valued at very different prices depending on the location or neighborhood. Here are some factors that affect the value of a home when you buy it and also in the future when you are ready to sell your home. 1. Distance to commute to work. House prices generally decrease the further the distance to the centers of work and business. This is particularly true for large cities. It can be a daunting decision to balance commuting distance with the house price. 2. Parks, community centers arenas, swimming pools, baseball and soccer fields help to establish a sense of community. 3. Schools which have a good reputation and are close by but not across the street or next door. 4. Shopping: malls and plazas which can be visited by walking or public transportation. 5. Services such as a medical center, pharmacy, day care centers and churches. 6. Transportation: Public transit and convenient road networks. Negative Factors can be gas stations, railway tracks, airports, cemeteries, industrial parks, and major highways. Most neighborhoods go through a cycle of about 25 years. When a home is 25 years old the furnace, air conditioner and the roof need to be replaced. The windows will not be up to standard for preventing heat loss. The electrical system will not be able to take care of all the new electronic devices. the kitchen and bathrooms need remodeling. As a result of these factors the value of the house decreases. It certainly will not be able to compete with those homes in a new subdivision. But if this home has a great location buy it and renovate. The neighborhood is ready for renewal. In a neighborhood such as this look for signs of renewal: homes with newer windows, front doors, newer roofs, tidy front yards. A neighborhood starting this cycle of renewal will have some homes ready for remodeling and probably will sell for a good price for the buyer. So the real estate cycle in a neighborhood seems to be: a period of improvement and appreciation when the homes are new followed by a period of disrepair and depreciation followed by a period of renewal and appreciation. Of course if you see homes being demolished and new ones being built then the location is probably exceptional Factors to Consider When Choosing a Home in a Community1. Lot size Width is important but a deep lot can offer many options: a garden, a pool, gazebo, trees and just room to play catch with your kids. 2. Parking space and a garage 3. A Corner lot is usually bigger but that also means more grass to cut and possible sidewalks to keep clear of snow. 4. Side of street: A home on the west side receives morning sun at the front and afternoon sun at the back of the house. While a home on the South side of the street receives sun all day that is great for a garden but in mid summer may be too hot to enjoy. 5. Street hardware near the lot such as fire hydrant, stoplights, mailboxes, sidewalk, street lights, public walkways. Maybe you would like to Buy a Home in a Sustainable Community. In the Canadian edition of 2008 “Who’s Your City”, Richard Florida sizes up the best cities to live in Canada depending on who you are. Singles 1. Visit Calgary Alberta 2. Iqualit Nunavut, Canada 3. Ottawa-Gatineau Ontario 4. Victoria British Columbia 5. More Yellowknife Northwest Territories 6. Edmonton Alberta 7. Guelph Ontario 8. CanmoreAlberta 9. Whitehorse Yukon 10. Montreal Quebec In Mid-Career 1. Ottawa-Gatineau Ontario 2. Calgary Alberta 3. Whitehorse Yukon 4. Yellowknife Northwest Territories 5. Iqalit Nunavut 6. Edmonton Alberta 7. Guelph Ontario 8. Quebec City Quebec 9. Toronto Ontario 10. Montreal Quebec Families 1. Ottawa-Gatineau Ontario 2. Toronto Ontario 3. Calgary Alberta 4. Fredericton New Brunswick 5. Yellowknife Northwest Territories 6. Guelph Ontario 7. Quebec City Quebec 8. Kingston Ontario 9. Hamilton Ontario 10. Montreal Quebec Empty-Nesters 1. Toronto Ontario 2. Ottawa-Gatineau Ontario 3. Calgary Alberta 4. Victoria British Columbia 5. Canmore Alberta 6. Charlottetown Prince Edward Island 7. Vancouver British Columbia 8. Montreal Quebec 9. Parksville British Columbia 10. Kingston Ontario Retired 1. Ottawa-Gatineau Ontario 2. Toronto Ontario 3. Calgary Alberta 4. Victoria British Columbia 5. Montreal Quebec 6. Vancouver British Columbia 7. Kingston Ontario 8. Quebec City Quebec 9. Guelph Ontario 10. Halifax Nova Scotia Go from neighborhood to Home Page
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