Moving to a new city or town can be exciting and intimidating at the same time. One of the most important decisions to make is where to live. Picking the best neighborhoods can make or break your experience and can be the difference between feeling like you belong and feeling like an outsider. 

Because of this, it’s critical to do your research and take your time in finding the perfect neighborhood for you. Knowing what your priorities are and what amenities you need can help you narrow down your choices. 

Additionally, learning about the culture, history, and safety of the different neighborhoods will give you more insight into the local lifestyle. With the right research and a little bit of patience, you can find the perfect neighborhood that will help you feel at home and make your move a success.

Identify Your Priorities

The first step in finding the right neighborhood is to identify your priorities. This will help you create a short list of neighborhoods to research and narrow down your options. It’s important to consider all factors, such as commute, affordability, and outdoor activities, as well as amenities such as diversity and access to groceries. 

Commute: Is the commute to work reasonable for your job? How about for your children if you have school-aged children? What are the different routes and how long do they take? 

Affordability: Are there neighborhoods that fit your budget? Do they offer the other amenities you need? 

Outdoor activities: Is there ample space to walk and bike? Are parks and trails nearby? Are there lakes, rivers, or oceans nearby for fishing and swimming? 

Access to groceries: What is the nearest grocery store? Is it large enough to accommodate your needs?

Research Amenities in Different Neighborhoods

Once you’ve identified your priorities, it’s time to start researching different neighborhoods. The first things to look at are the different amenities you need. This will help you narrow down your choices. 

For example, if you’re looking for an area with excellent public transportation, you may want to rule out areas that are more rural or suburban. Another important thing to look for is how the neighborhood has changed over time. For example, if a neighborhood was once predominantly African-American and now it has a large Latino population, this may affect the amenities and culture of the neighborhood.

Research the Culture and History of Different Neighborhoods

The history and culture of a neighborhood can offer insight into how residents live and how welcoming a neighborhood is. For example, if you’re interested in the African-American history of a neighborhood, you may want to rule out living in an area that was once a slave-holding state. 

Be sure to research the demographics of the neighborhood. For example, what percentage of the population is made up of families, singles, or seniors? What percentage of the population is made up of different ethnicities? What is the average household income?

Research Local Crime Rates

Another thing to look at when researching a neighborhood is crime rates. While this is not a perfect science, you can learn a lot by looking at the crime rates of a neighborhood. One of the best ways to do this is to go to the crime map of your city or town and type in the neighborhood you’re interested in. 

If you’re moving to a new city, you can also visit the crime map for that city. Be sure to look at both violent and property crime rates. While violent crime rates can be alarming, property crime rates are more likely to affect the average person and include things like theft from cars and break-ins.

Consider Local Schools

If you have school-aged children, it’s important to research the local schools. This can help you decide if a neighborhood is right for you. Another thing to consider is what the school district and grade levels are in the neighborhood you’re interested in. 

This can help you narrow down your choices. While it is possible to switch school districts, this can be a long and challenging process.

Visit Different Neighborhoods to Get a Feel

After you’ve done your research, it’s time to go visit the different neighborhoods you’re interested in. You should do this long before you list your home for sale and accept an offer. This will help you get a feel for the neighborhood and decide if it’s right for you. The best times to visit are on the weekend or during the week when there are fewer people out and about. 

You can bring along a friend or family member to help you with this process. When you visit a neighborhood, it’s important to look at more than the exterior of the houses. 

Walk around the neighborhood and look for things like how clean it is, how much people are out, and how neighbors interact with each other. This will help you get a better feel for the neighborhood and decide if it’s the right fit for you.

Talk to Residents to Get an Insider’s Perspective

The best way to get an insider’s perspective on a neighborhood is to talk to residents who live there. This can help you learn more about the history and culture of a neighborhood and how friendly the residents are. 

You can ask residents anything you want and get their perspective on the neighborhood. You can find residents by posting on local online forums, through online roommate finders, or by knocking on doors. 

While this isn’t a foolproof method, it can help you get a better understanding of a neighborhood and its advantages and disadvantages.

Consider Your Budget

Finally, when deciding on a neighborhood, be sure to consider your budget. Some neighborhoods will be more affordable than others, and this may rule out certain areas. It’s important to keep your budget in mind when you’re looking for a new house, condo, or townhome. 

If you follow these steps, you can find the perfect neighborhood that will help you feel at home and make your move a success. With so many factors to consider when deciding on a neighborhood, it’s important to do your research and take your time. 

Picking the right neighborhood can make all the difference in your experience and can be the difference between feeling like you belong and feeling like an outsider.

As homeowners are more concerned about sustainability and living an environmentally-friendly lifestyle, energy-efficient homes are becoming increasingly popular.

There are key design elements you need to make your home truly green, whether you are looking to build from scratch, renovate an existing home, or purchase a home that is already energy-efficient.

Let’s take a look at these.

What Makes A Home Energy-Efficient?

Energy-efficient means that you use less energy to produce the same product. It can also be used to refer to any action that conserves or saves energy.

A home that is energy efficient uses less energy but still provides the same level of comfort and aesthetic appeal as a traditional house.

One simple way to improve energy efficiency in your home is to switch out traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent or light-emitting device (LED) bulbs. Both bulbs emit light but the LED and compact fluorescent bulbs use less energy.

Design Tips For Building Energy-Efficient Homes

When defining the features of a home, terms like “green”, “sustainable” or “energy-efficient”, aren’t just used interchangeably. Here are some common points to remember if you’re looking to buy or build a home or increase its value by adding energy-efficient features.

1. Make Sure You Use The Right Building Materials

You can make your home more energy-efficient by choosing to use sustainable building materials such as reclaimed timber in construction and repair.

There are also building materials that can improve the efficiency of a home, such as:

• Recycled steel
• Spray foam insulation for non-fiberglass
• Concrete
• Bamboo
• Eco-friendly paint
• Installing a new roof

When you are building a home or renovating an existing one, it is important to consider how less waste can be generated by using sustainable materials in the design. This will not only increase the property’s energy efficiency but also reduce the waste that ends up in landfills and incinerators.

2. Insulation Is Key

Look at the walls, windows, doors, attic, and attic of your house. Is the house properly sealed and insulated? Or is air slowly leaking through cracks that are not visible?

Insulation for your home is a way to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer while reducing the need for your cooling or heating system to work overtime.

Window panes offer energy efficiency that is often overlooked. You can add insulation and security to your house by installing windows with two- or three panes.

When you are building a new home, be sure to inspect the insulation and building seal of the ceilings, walls, and floors. You will need to add more insulation than required by building codes to be truly efficient.

3. Purchase Efficient Appliances And Utilities

High energy bills could be due to your appliances. But energy-efficient appliances can help. Energy Star appliances offer energy savings and have contributed to a reduction of 3.5 billion metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions since 1992.

You should also inspect your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), systems. Leakage can result in thousands of dollars annually in energy losses. You can also save significant money by switching to low-energy systems such as LED bulbs, low-flow fixtures, and toilets.

4. You Might Consider Integrating A ‘Smart Home System’

Smart home upgrades not only can make your house easier to use but can also help you save money on your energy bills. These are some of the most popular upgrades:

• Hubs for home
• Smart lighting systems
• Energy meters
• Smart thermostats
• Smart security systems

Smart home devices can learn about your preferences and habits, and then suggest energy savings based on what you need and how much you want to save.

5. Solar Power

Are you starting a new building? To maximize the sun’s natural heat, place your windows strategically. You’ll be able to heat your home more effectively in winter if you have a lot of windows facing south. Covering the windows with a shade will help keep your house cool in summer.

Solar panels are expensive but have a high ROI (return on investment) and can help you save money depending on where you live. You may be able to get additional energy from your solar panels from some electric companies.

Solar panels can affect your mortgage so be sure to speak with your lender before you install solar panels in your home.

6. Strive for An Efficiency-Certified House

LEED certification can be a selling point for homes that are energy efficient in certain cases. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has given LEED certification to homes that meet certain environmental standards.

To speak to a USGBC representative about your home, and to determine if your home meets the requirements for LEED qualification, or if your building is just beginning, you might consider using the guidelines to guide your design.

7. Take Into Consideration Your Climate And Location

Know your local energy requirements before you start a project to remodel your home or build a new one. For example, if you live in a warm climate, insulation might not be necessary. You might find more efficient ways to spend that money in the long-term to increase efficiency.

There are many ways to make your landscaping more energy-efficient, depending on where you live.

Bottom line: A home That Is Energy Efficient Is A Win-Win Situation

It is important to know what to look out for when building, buying, or selling an efficient home. This will help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. 

You can feel good about making conscious decisions to reduce your environmental impact and save money on your energy bills. It’s a win/win situation!

Your lender may require you to purchase flood insurance if you have a home mortgage and live in high-risk flood zones. If you live in a low- or moderate-risk area and your community is covered by the National Flood Insurance Program like most of them are, you can purchase it.

If you fall into the latter group, your first question is likely to be about costs. Federal flood insurance can cost as little as a few hundred dollars per year or as high as $10,000, depending on what risk factors you have. Here are some other facts to help you make a decision on whether or not you should purchase flood insurance.

Flood Damage Isn’t Covered By Your Homeowners Insurance

Your homeowners insurance policy only covers damage caused by water from the sky. It does not cover water that touches the ground and enters your home which is what flood insurance covers.

For example, your homeowners insurance would cover you if a tree limb puts  a hole in your roof from a storm and rainwater damages your ceiling or floor. Flood insurance is only available if the creek in your area overflows into your home.

Flood Zones Are Everywhere…Literally!

Every area is considered a flood zone; It’s simply a matter of how high the risk of flooding is. The NFIP will tell you the exact level of flood risk in your home. Zones A and V are considered high-risk areas. Zones B, C, and Z are moderate-to-low-risk areas. Zone D is an area where the flood risk is uncertain due to the fact that this zone hasn’t been mapped yet. These zones help to determine your policy rate.

Moderate-to-Low Flood Zones Have Made a Large Chunk of the Insurance Claims

More than twenty percent of insurance claims have been made from homeowners that live in zones B, C, and Z. Despite only 18% of homeowners having flood insurance, no one knows how many don’t have the flood insurance they need.

Obtaining Government Aid is Difficult

Most government aid is in the form of loans that you will need to repay. To be eligible for a loan your area must first be declared a federal disaster zone. Federal disaster assistance is only available in areas that have experienced less than half the flooding events.

Flood Claims Are Averaged at $30,000 or Higher

Your flood claim could be much greater than the average if your home is in an area where water rises to the point that emergency workers have to make roof holes to rescue residents. On top of the flood damage, your expenses will now include the roofing problems that need fixed.

Floodwater can cause lots of damages to your home, even if it is only six inches high. Due to flood damage, you could be spending thousands on new floors, new door frames, new windows, electrical work, plumbing work, and so much more.

Conclusion

You can create a home inventory to determine how much coverage you will need and then make an estimate of the cost of rebuilding your home or going through a home renovation. These two numbers together are your potential loss from flood damage. Federal flood insurance would cover up to $250,000 in rebuilding costs and an NFIP can cover possessions up to $100,000.  To insure your home’s value above $250,000.00, you will need to purchase a private flood insurance policy. Do some research and contact a local insurance agent to discuss the options.

Whether your roof is new or old, you can bet that roofing problems will occur at some point. These include leaks, faulty shingles, clogged drains, and roof depressions. When they occur, a homeowner typically calls in a roof contractor. If a leak or depression is noticed while on the roof, the homeowner should make arrangements to have it repaired right away. The same goes for a cracked or chipped shingle. While it is perfectly possible to repair some roof problems on your own, most roofing issues should be handled by a skilled roofing contractor so as not to create more extensive damage, improper repairs, or dangerous conditions.

Roof Leaks

Even though roofs are designed to be waterproof, they do not always stay that way. Depending on the roof materials, and roof construction techniques, moisture can penetrate the roofing materials and create leaks. This is why it is so important to regularly maintain your roof with proper cleaning, including repainting, down-filling, and sealing. Regular maintenance will also keep existing problems from developing.

Roof leakages are one of the most common roofing problems experienced by consumers today. The improper installation of shingles, the improper design of the roof, a leaky roof, and other roofing materials, are all culprits in leaking. Although roof leaks may not always result in immediate roof damage, over time these leaks can greatly increase the amount of water damage that occurs to your home. When you experience an unexpected leak in your roof, it is important to repair the leak right away to prevent further damage.

Snow Buildup & Damage

Another roofing problem that most people don’t consider is the occurrence of snow buildup. Unfortunately, snow can be the most devastating roofing problem when it comes to ice dams. When snow builds up on the roof, it can often cause the roof to sag, creating damage to the ceilings and walls of your home. This is especially true during the winter, when temperatures may be dropping. If snow doesn’t scrape off, it often accumulates on the roof, causing more damage.

Melting snow can be one of the many reasons for a roof leakage. Small animals – such as cats and dogs – can easily sneak into the attic through a small hole created by the snow. Even small rodents such as mice and rats can have a negative impact on the structural integrity of your roof, so it is imperative that this type of problem is fixed right away.

Tree & Storm Damage

Tree damage is another very common roofing problem for homeowners. Whether it’s extensive damage from a falling tree branch or just dry rot from a few leaves, tree damage can wreak havoc on a roof. Whether the damage is from falling branches or insects, your roof needs to be inspected and treated to prevent further damage to the roof and your personal property.

Storm damage is yet another huge culprit when it comes to leaking roofs. Whether it’s debris washing up onto your roof or high winds causing leaks, storm damage can lead to everything from broken shingles to roof collapse. Because roofs are exposed to so many different elements day in and day out, they need to be maintained regularly in order to prevent leaks or cracks. A qualified roofer will know what types of repairs to make to your roof, as well as which ones to avoid, and will help you choose the right roofing services for you.

Cracking & Blistering in the Roofing Materials

When cracks become larger, they are most often caused by deteriorating roofing materials. Over time, many roofing materials will begin to crack, split, or shrink. These cracks can become bigger and thus more susceptible to leaks and damage, especially if there is no added protection for the roofing materials. In some cases, deteriorating roofing materials may cause the roof to cave in, exposing the underneath structure to damage from the outside.

Blistering is also quite common in older homes. Just like cracks, blistering usually occurs because of deteriorating roofing materials, such as shingles and slate. If these materials are poorly installed or not cleaned properly, then they will develop cracks or blistering. Sometimes, flashing between roofing materials may not be properly installed, which can also cause blistering. In some cases, cracks may also be caused by the presence of termites or other pests, so it’s important to have your roof inspected for signs of infestation.

Clogged Gutters

Lastly, clogged gutters are a roofing problem that can be fixed easily. Gutters should open and close according to normal weather conditions. Unfortunately, some gutters are not built to handle extreme weather conditions, which can result in them becoming clogged. The qualified roofing professionals can clean your gutters and make sure they are working properly. Clogged gutters are an eyesore and can lead to other maintenance concerns. 

Conclusion

All roofs face challenges whether they are damaged or not and whether you live the townhome life or in a single-family home. Whether you’re dealing with leaks or roofing structural issues, it’s best to address problems as they arise rather than allowing them to get worse. The good news is that it’s possible to repair most minor roof issues yourself. Whether you’re repairing shingles or replacing a roof, it’s important to know the most common roofing problems so that you can address the issue in a timely manner. If you suspect that your roof needs help, contact an experienced roofing specialist to discuss your options.