Anyone who has bought a home in a bad location will tell you that location is everything. When you are looking for your first home
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you might be thinking there is a lot that you can deal with just so you do not have to live in a teeny, tiny apartment anymore, but trust the thousand of people who have chosen a bad location before you: there is nothing worse than buying a house in a location that you hate.
There are several things to look at when deciding on a location. First, even if you do not have kids and never want to have kids, you need to think about the schools in the area. If you are in an area that has the best schools and is desired by parents, the area is probably a good area to be in. Also, good schools and good areas means that the homes will resale better.
Second, if there are bars on all the windows and doors of the houses that you are looking at buyer beware. If you have always imagined yourself living downtown, within walking distance of shopping and coffee shops, but you get a look at all the homes and they look like a high security prison- it means there is crime in the area. You do not see many farm houses in the middle of nowhere with bars on the windows. You know why? No crime. Do you really want to spend the next thirty years in a home that might be robbed at any minute?
Finally, you need to notice if there is some kind of transportation service in the area of you home that could become an annoyance. Nothing is worse than being awoken at two in the morning by an airplane or an ambulance. You may think that you will get use to the noise, but you wont.
All of these location issues are a problem and they will continue to be a problem because you can change everything about a home but the location.