The neighborhood you choose in either the Anderson or Cottonwood area, can have a big impact on your lifestyle — safety, available amenities, and convenience all play their part.
Make a list of the activities you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engage in your most common activities.
Check out the school district. The Department of Education in your town can probably provide information on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college, and special enrichment programs. Even if you don’t have children, a house in a good school district will be easier to sell in the future.
Find out if the neighborhood is safe. Ask the police department for neighborhood crime statistics. Consider not only the number of crimes but also the type, and the trend of increasing or decreasing crime.
Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable. Check with your local city economic development office to see if income and property values in the neighborhood are stable or rising.
See if you’ll make money. Ask a local Real Estate Agent or call the Shasta County Board of Realtors office to get information about price appreciation trends in the neighborhood. Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, this information may give you a sense of how good an investment your home will be. A Real Estate Agent or the government planning agency may also be able to tell you about planned development or other changes in the neighborhood the might affect value.
Once you have narrowed your focus to two or three neighborhoods. go there and walk around. Are homes tidy and well maintained? Are streets quiet? Pick a warm day if you can and chat with people working or playing outside.
