Buying a Home in Your Ideal School District

If you have kids and are looking to buy a house, we don’t need to tell you the importance of finding the right school. Here are a few tips to help you choose a school that fits your family’s lifestyle and meets your kids’ needs.

Discover your preferred schools. Visit GreatSchools.org to find a school that nurtures your child’s talents. View the school ratings to help you make an informed decision.

Other websites also offer test scores, rankings and demographic information, including student diversity by race and gender, the percentage of students on free lunch programs and the student-teacher ratio, to develop an opinion of the schools and school districts you’re considering. SchoolDigger.com is one site that pulls much of its information from public record and then compiles it to provide a comprehensive look at the schools for parents.

Also, consider visiting schools to answer your questions. It’s a great way to get a reluctant child excited for the move. Spending an afternoon observing can help your child ease any anxiety they may have about changing schools and meeting new friends.

Search homes by school district. When searching for your next home, your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agent’s website has a search tool that can filter results by specific schools. Under the “More” button next to the search field, click “Advanced Search” at the bottom, then click on the “Schools” tab. Select the name of your desired school from the list. Hit “Search.”

Research your ideal location. Spend time in the neighborhood, take a walk and meet the neighbors. Chat with members of the community from the comfort of your couch by creating a Nextdoor account. You can see activity in the area, safety hazards, and neighborhood events.

Know what you can afford. It’s not surprising that many of the neighborhoods with the best schools are also some of the priciest. Where demand is high, prices go up.

If an area is too expensive for your budget, consider opening up your school district search. In many cases, the sense of community, rather than test scores or other statistics, makes a school the right fit.