When you’re in the market for a new place to live, it helps to remember the golden rule of real estate: You’re not just buying or renting a home — you are also becoming part of a neighborhood.

All neighborhoods are not created equal and there’s no such thing as the perfect neighborhood; everyone has different needs and desires.

However, there are components common to all great neighborhoods. As you evaluate the best aspects of a prospective neighborhood, you’ll want to match them to your daily needs.

1. Lifestyle match

Is the neighborhood in sync with your current lifestyle? Both renters and homebuyers tend to gravitate to areas with similar demographics. Just as a fantastic suburban neighborhood in a gated community may not be right for a young single professional, a family with three small children might not find a small condo in a hip downtown neighborhood to be the best fit for their lifestyle.

2. Pride in ownership

Pride in ownership is obvious when the residents maintain their homes and care about their neighborhood. Neighbors connect and create local groups that bring the residents together for the betterment of the area.
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