By Kathy Henne

If you’ve got kids and are planning to move, you’ve got your hands full! Before you start looking at homes and packing up boxes of toys, you want to be sure that your new home offers the amenities you are seeking for your school-aged children. Sounds simple enough, but there’ really a lot to consider.

You might start your research on the internet, but you’ll also want to speak directly with a real estate agent, teachers in the school systems, and maybe even someone at the local YMCA or YWCA. Like the purchase of your home, your child’s education and recreation are investments for the future, and should be based on careful investigation of the facts.

You want a quality school system with good student-teacher ratios and respectable test scores. You might also want close proximity between your home and the desired school. It’s highly recommended to take a “test drive” to determine your commute times between work, school and home. If you’ll be working out of town, you’ll want to make your “test drive” during heavy traffic times. Commute length can be extremely important when you place a high value on your family time together.

School is obviously paramount, but don’t forget places like playgrounds, community recreation, libraries, and houses of worship. Once you’ve found a neighborhood you’re interested in, you may want to talk to some of the neighbors. They’ll tell you the things they love about their neighborhood, which may help you with your choice.