Buying a Home in the Sacramento Area - Tips For Parents

If you're a parent buying a home in the Sacramento Area, here are a few ideas to help you get the most value for your dollar while still getting a top school system and the best home for you and your family.

1. Use API test scores and school report cards at the beginning of your research. Since the "Dark Ages" when my wife and I moved to the Sacramento Area (1996), the information available to parents has exploded! A good starting point for this information is the link above to Sacramento Area Schools.
2. Pick 4-8 likely neighborhoods and drive around. The Realtor you're working with can supply you with maps of the area so you can take your time and drive through them.
3. Check prices. Sometimes there are exceptions to the general rule that the top rated school systems carry the top price tags. Your Realtor can provide you with comparative price figures for the different areas.
4. Target one or two "first choice" areas for in-depth research. These are the neighborhoods that you plan to become an expert in.
5. Sign up for our e-mail update service for your target areas. It's a quick and easy way for you to make sure you see the new listings coming on the market. You can sign up on line for this, or ask your Realtor to do it for you, or call 1 (877) 735-5657 and I'll walk you through it.
6. Ask your Realtor to door knock for you. Did you know that many Realtors would welcome the opportunity to show you around the neighborhood and even knock on some doors to find parents you can meet? Though some Realtors are a bit bashful about knocking on doors, many will see it as an opportunity to make contacts in the neighborhood -- since not only will it help you in your neighborhood search, it can also translate into business in the future for the Realtor. (If that service is of interest to you, let me know when you call and I'll try to match you up with a Realtor who'd love to do it for you).
7. Meet the parents. Remember, API test scores are only the beginning of your search, not the end. What schools do the parents in the neighborhood really send their kids to? (When we moved, we had our heart set on a given school district and were even told by the county that our house was in that district, but we ended up being in another district. Fortunately for us that one was also good, but the moral is: don't rely on the MLS listing or the county -- talk to the parents).
8. Meeting the parents also gives you a chance to find out if they have children your kids can play with, what they think of the neighborhood, etc.
9. Love the house and the neighborhood, but still not sure about a particular point? Did you know that the California Purchase Agreement gives you a very broad right of inspection, and that your Realtor can also explicitly include any other investigations you feel you have to make? Don't take a chance -- write it into the agreement. That way if you're not satisfied you can always cancel, getting your deposit back easily in the vast majority of cases. (Occasionally a seller holds this process up, but your Realtor can help you if that happens).