Finding the home of your dreams is only one piece of the puzzle when you are planning a move. The neighborhood you and your family will settle into will play a bigger role than you might think. While you will spend a great amount of time in your new home, you’ll also be spending a measurable part of your week in the area that surrounds it. Whether you move into a new area alone or with a growing family, you’ll want your new digs to best suit your needs. This can involve a little bit of research and is something that the agents at Calcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Group are poised to help you with.
Make a list of what area amenities are important to you
You’ve probably already made a list of what your new home absolutely has to have, as well as a separate list of “wants” that would be icing on the cake. Creating these lists for potential neighborhoods is also a crucial and helpful tool for getting you into the perfect area. No two lists will look alike, as everyone has their own unique sets of wants and needs. But there will be a decent amount of overlap when you compare one family’s list to others, making it easier for agents to help you find the perfect spot when looking for Montecito real estate.
Consider all of the amenities that you value in a neighborhood. So many newer developments have been positioned within a reasonable distance of popular shopping districts, restaurants, and nightlife. The ability to walk or take short drives to their favorite recreational spots often finds its way to the top of many prospective buyers’ lists. And proximity to these places is a hot selling point in Montecito.
But not everyone is looking for staying adjacent to the hustle and bustle of the daily grind when they’re off work for the day. Maybe proximity to local parks is important, or easy accessibility to hiking/biking trails. Or perhaps privacy and security are on the top of your list of needs, having you look for neighborhoods that offer seclusion and gated entry.
Consider all of the amenities that you value in a neighborhood. So many newer developments have been positioned within a reasonable distance of popular shopping districts, restaurants, and nightlife. The ability to walk or take short drives to their favorite recreational spots often finds its way to the top of many prospective buyers’ lists. And proximity to these places is a hot selling point in Montecito.
But not everyone is looking for staying adjacent to the hustle and bustle of the daily grind when they’re off work for the day. Maybe proximity to local parks is important, or easy accessibility to hiking/biking trails. Or perhaps privacy and security are on the top of your list of needs, having you look for neighborhoods that offer seclusion and gated entry.
Is walkability important to anyone in your household?
Walkability has become an important feature when many buyers are looking to move into a new area. There are many agencies that will evaluate an area and assign what is referred to as a “walkscore,” rating it based on how well a person can move easily from point A to point B without motorized transportation.
This means more than just the construction of sidewalks along roadways. Crosswalks that are reasonably spaced apart, pedestrian traffic signals, and bench seating along routes factor into how well an area scores in this category. But there’s a lot more to scoring an area’s walkability.
Proximity to amenities and how easily they can be accessed on foot or bike will also be a determining factor in assessing the score. And sometimes, it depends on where you look, as many agencies that label walkscores take different things into account. Some agencies will include walkable access to public transportation hubs, while at least one agency factored in noise levels and landscaping when applying a rating.
The ability to get out and easily move about in a neighborhood is a must-have for many. Walking and biking to local shops, restaurants, and even work, has made its way into the lives of a growing number of people and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. If the walkability of an area is important to you, be sure to ask your agent from Calcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Group to view homes with the highest walk scores in Montecito.
This means more than just the construction of sidewalks along roadways. Crosswalks that are reasonably spaced apart, pedestrian traffic signals, and bench seating along routes factor into how well an area scores in this category. But there’s a lot more to scoring an area’s walkability.
Proximity to amenities and how easily they can be accessed on foot or bike will also be a determining factor in assessing the score. And sometimes, it depends on where you look, as many agencies that label walkscores take different things into account. Some agencies will include walkable access to public transportation hubs, while at least one agency factored in noise levels and landscaping when applying a rating.
The ability to get out and easily move about in a neighborhood is a must-have for many. Walking and biking to local shops, restaurants, and even work, has made its way into the lives of a growing number of people and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. If the walkability of an area is important to you, be sure to ask your agent from Calcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Group to view homes with the highest walk scores in Montecito.
To commute or not to commute?
Earlier in 2023, the Pew Research Center revealed that while the number of Americans that work remotely has dropped since the peak of the 2020 pandemic, there are still more than one-third that still do. But not every employer gives their staff this option. And there’s still a good number of people who have jobs that could never be done remotely. For those who will always have to make their way to the office, there will always be a commute. Suburban sprawl has meant more time to get to work in the crowded cities that they surround, making the average one-way commute time increase to an all-time high in 2021. Census data released that year showed that the typical American with a commute spent more than 27 minutes going in one direction.
Selecting a neighborhood close to work can be a bit challenging, but it’s an attribute that many buyers look for. For some, the thought of spending the equivalent of an extra work day every week behind the wheel of a car is enough to convince them to find a neighborhood as close to the office as possible.
Selecting a neighborhood close to work can be a bit challenging, but it’s an attribute that many buyers look for. For some, the thought of spending the equivalent of an extra work day every week behind the wheel of a car is enough to convince them to find a neighborhood as close to the office as possible.
A real estate professional will know neighborhoods just as well as the homes within them
Yes, you want to work with a realtor to assist you with the purchase of your new home and is knowledgeable about inventory. But a true professional will also be intimately familiar with the neighborhoods. Calcagno & Hamilton Real Estate Group have the skills and expertise to not only help you find the home you’re looking for but also one that is situated within the neighborhood that checks all of your boxes. Reach out when you’re ready to get started.
