We’ve all heard how important location is when buying real estate! What we haven’t heard, however, is how we accurately determine which location is better than another location. There are a few distinguishing traits to consider when evaluating the potential location of your custom dream home and whether it should be located in the suburbs or downtown.

Before you begin, you really want to consider what comforts outside of your home are important to you and the type of lifestyle your family lives. For example, there are some people who love to be outdoors, walking their dogs, planting a garden, or enjoying other outdoor activities like swimming and jogging. You could also be a person who loves the arts and wants to be within walking distance or a short trip to the district for museums and art exhibits; for this person, a downtown location will most likely fit the bill. You want to be very aware of these factors when considering communities.

The first consideration to take into account when choosing land is its proximity to your workplace or office. With fuel costs on the rise, it’s a wise and prudent decision to purchase land that is close to your workplace or near a Park n Ride rideshare site. One of the biggest drivers of home price appreciation is the community’s proximity to major employment centers, shopping and entertainment centers, and parks. The closer you are to these types of locations, the more likely this is a great area to build your custom dream home.

You will also want to consider whether you want to live in the center of the city or in the suburbs. They both have distinct advantages and some disadvantages, so it really depends on the type of lifestyle you enjoy. As stated above, for those who are art aficionados, you will most likely be drawn to the inner city communities as they generally have more art exhibits and museums. Most suburban communities will offer all the other outdoor amenities like biking, jogging, and trails of all kinds, but most suburban communities don’t have art districts or museums, though there’s a new trend changing all that. . I live in Sugarland, Texas, which has been voted one of the best places in the country to raise a family, and because of the popularity of this area, there is very little undeveloped land. In fact, the last large piece of land suitable for development was purchased and converted into a Savannah, Georgia themed community called Telfair. Well, Telfair has a unique distinction in that it has its own Natural Science Museum satellite, which is a first for a residential community! So for art lovers, you can get all the benefits of suburban life AND also have the arts.

Probably one of the biggest benefits for families considering the suburbs over inner-city communities is the abundance of high-quality, accredited schools. Most suburban areas have diverse, well-funded school districts that excel in most academic tests and extracurricular activities such as band, orchestra, and sports. Compared to many inner city areas, most inner city areas have older schools that may be underfunded or not exemplary when it comes to standardized testing. These are the main considerations you want to take when looking at communities from a homeowner’s point of view, but let’s take a step back and look at this from a real estate developer’s point of view.

When I’m researching an area, I usually look for the area that in 3-5 years will be the next best thing. For example, when my wife and I purchased Sugarland in 1999, we felt that the strong demographics, exemplary school district, low tax rate, and short commute to downtown Houston would make this the ideal location over time. Well, in 2005, 2006 and 2007, Newsweek and Money magazines, among others, recognized Sugarland as a great place to raise a family.

So you definitely want to look closely at areas with low tax rates and strong school districts. Over time, these areas have proven to appreciate faster than other communities. Another good strategy for suburban communities is to continue to expand. In other words, you want to keep an eye out for subdivisions that are selling faster than developer expectations. In general, if you look in the surrounding areas, you will find other developers who have come in and are capitalizing on the new success of the area and will offer land and communities for sale at similarly competitive prices.

Last, and probably the most important thing to do when considering an area is to get in your car and drive around the community and area in general. In many cases, despite all the exercises and strategies above, this is the best indicator of how well-suited a community is for your needs, since you can talk about the community with your potential neighbors and get all the juicy details of what is happening and/or proposed. to occur in the area.

If you spend some time closely monitoring and considering the merits of suburban versus downtown living, I can assure you it will be time well spent and help you clearly determine which is best for you and your family.