Living in Portland

When searching for your home to purchase, it’s a good idea to take your time and check out neighborhoods unless you know right where you want to be.  Once the area(s) you’re interested in have been narrowed down, check these neighborhoods different times of day.  You’ll want to be aware of the traffic during rush hours, school hours, weekends, evening and daytime.  Try to walk some of the blocks during these times so that you are aware of the noise levels, activities and traffic. 

I just found a fun website: www.walkscore.com.  Type in the address you’re looking at and it will list activities, parks, shopping, groceries, gas, freeways and more and the distance to them from the address.  It will also give a walkability score for the address from 1(must drive to everything) to 100 (don’t need a car).  It’s not always completely accurate and you may not agree, but gives some input of what’s in the area, etc.

If being near shopping and activities is important to you, make sure to spend time in the neighborhood and walk to these places.  Make sure it’s walkable/strollable for all members of your family.  If freeway access is important, check this out as well.  Drive the route during different times of the day to get a good feel of how long your commute will be.

Taking your time to find the neighborhood for you and the house for you will really pay off in the long run.