Finding Your Place When Relocating

In the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to work with two wonderful young couples. The first, whose home purchase is in the works right this minute, consists of a woman who grew up in the northern suburbs, and a man who hails from the UK. The second couple, non-Minnesotans who are just finishing up their studies in a southwestern state, are currently in the process of determining where to live after college, and flew to Minneapolis to get a feel for the city.

As anyone who’s lived in the Twin Cities for any length of time can attest to, not only does each individual town have a feel all its own, so, too does each neighborhood within the respective cities. The couples I’ve been working with have taken different tacks in their research and decisions where they ultimately want to live.

The first couple, who we’ll refer to as Cath and James, have recently returned from a stint overseas, currently live in Minnetonka, and had initially hoped to purchase a home there. After reviewing their budget with a financial planner and determining what they were comfortable spending on a monthly and annual basis, they decided to look for single-family homes in the $160-175K range, and expanded their search to increase the amount of home they could buy for that amount.

The second couple, who we’ll call Rena and Lyle, confined their search area to Minneapolis. As avid bikers who primarily use public transportation to get around, they wanted to see homes in different parts of Minneapolis, and to get a feel for the vibe in each. We spent a few hours looking not only at houses, but seeing neighborhoods and where they connected, local landmarks, parks and schools, and discussing life in the TCs. At one point, Lyle asked a question I thought was quite astute: What things do I dislike about living in the Twin Cities? A good question to ask a local, I think!

Decidedly, these two couples, though not terribly far apart in age, were at distinct points in their home-buying journey. As a Realtor, it’s good contrast to better understand how everyone we work with has individual priorities: For Cath and James, a home to grow into, where they could start a family, regardless of location; Rena and Lyle, on the other hand, were looking for more house in the form of fixer-upper, in a neighborhood that would feel like home as they transitioned to living in a new city.

When thinking about buying your first home, it’s fundamental to begin by prioritizing not only what you’re looking for inside the home, but also where the home is located, and the amenities within that community. Things to consider aside from the basics, like safety and school districts, depend on your current or future lifestyle. These auxiliary criteria can include proximity to work, commute time, access to public transportation or highways/freeways, walkability of neighborhood and proximity to parks or green space.

If you’re not familiar with certain areas, ask around, or visit and walk or drive the neighborhood to see how it feels. Not surprisingly, Realtors are also great sources of information—not only do we know a lot about various areas and cities, we can also provide details on market performance and median sales prices, and much, much more!