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Schools Important in New Home Search

July 14, 2014

The old adage “Location, location, location” may becoming old school. Today’s buyers are often thinking “Schools, schools, schools” when looking at new homes. That’s according to a new survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate, which found that 79% of Millennial parents (between the ages of 18 and 34) and 70% of Gen X parents (between the ages of 35 and 49) make major purchasing decisions around their children.  Moreover, 67% of Millennial parents and 64% of Gen X parents said they were more concerned about the immediate impact of a move on the emotional well-being of their children than whether moving was a good decision in the long run, according to the survey of 2,000 US parents. That’s a bit different from the attitudes of the Boomer Generation.  Only 52% of Boomer parents (between the ages of 50 and 69) said they made major decisions based on their kids. “Thirty years ago, if a parent had a job opportunity that was positive and was in sync with their job goals, there was a move that was happening and the kids needed to adjust,” said Robi Ludwig, psychotherapist and lifestyle correspondent. Today, moves are made specifically with children in mind, such as moves made into good school districts.  According to research, 75% of families consider school districts to be a top priority when looking for a new home. When evaluating a school district, there are a few things to take into consideration. Take a look at the quality, age, and facilities of the schools themselves. Look into how students perform on standardized tests. Check out the student-to-teacher ratio to see how much personalized attention the students receive. The amount of spending per pupil at the school will tell you how much of the budget is allocated for each student. Most importantly, talk to people who have lived in the area for a while and have children enrolled in the schools. You may even want to schedule an interview with a teacher or administrator at the school  You might also want to check out websites like Great Schools to get the opinions of other parents and teachers concerning schools. All Grant & Co. neighborhoods are located in excellent school districts and there are ready-to-move-in homes available today in most of these neighborhoods.  Grant neighborhoods are located in great school districts  like Lewisburg, Center Hill, DeSoto Central, Pleasant Hill Elementary,  Olive Branch Schools, Bolton, Arlington, and  Rivercrest. Always check with the school administration to verify school boundaries.