When you’re considering a move to a state or region you’re not familiar with, it’s natural to want to know more about what the neighborhood is like, whether public transportation is available, the quality of schools, employment opportunities, safety, the list goes on and on. So, if you’re considering a move to Flower Mound, Frisco, Denton, or another outlying Dallas suburb, but you live out of the area, how can you get the information you need? We have a few tips to help make your search (and decision) easier.
Your first concern may be about the crime rate. If you have an address, the easiest way to find out about whether the community is safe is to look for recent local crimes using My Local Crime. Simply enter the address and click on the map function, and you’ll get all the info you need.
If you have children, you’ll want to check the quality of schools in the area. All parents want their children to attend the best schools, and you can find out all about local education by visiting greatschools.org.
If you’re an active family, you may be curious about walkability and whether the neighborhood is bicycle-friendly. Today, millennials are particularly concerned about whether it’s an easy walk to the grocery store or local coffee shop – and bike trails and lanes make the neighborhood even more desirable. Visit Walk Score or Bike Score to get a sense of how easy you can get around without driving.
What is there to do in the community? From concerts to nightlife, movies, and restaurants, all you need to do is search Yelp, Moviefone, and Gravy.
Of course you’ll be curious about general demographics, such as population, race, age of residents, work commute times, and other details. You can learn all you need to know by visiting census.gov, where the latest 2010 Census breaks down the information for you.
If you’ll be needing public transportation on occasion, you can learn what’s available or if you’ll need a vehicle by visiting Transit Score.
At Team Nelson, our Flower Mound real estate agents understand how vital it is to learn all you can about a community or city before you make the final decision to move there. Need more assistance or information? Give us a call today, we’re happy to help.