Ask Cora Hey Cora: How do I know, before I purchase a home, what the neighborhood will be like? I mean, Quiet, noisy, what is the best way for me to find out? Signed Shhhhhhhhh Dear Shhhhhhhhh, Well, there are many ways. You know that I am a bullet point kinda gal, so we will just bullet this all over the place! •VISIT AT DIFFERENT TIMES: Before you buy, visit the home at different times of the day. Just drive thru the neighborhood. Mornings: Are there are plethora of yellow school buses with their flashy lights all over? Would your driveway be the bus stop full of snowball throwing children? Afternoons: Traffic, trash trucks, road construction. Are there commercial buildings around with heavy equipment moving around? Maybe large powerlines that hum constantly. Evenings: Cars might be spilling over out of stuffed garages and into the streets. Kids playing hockey and moving out of the way for traffic – or not moving out of the way! Weekends: Are there parties on a regular basis with lots of on street traffic? It doesn’t matter if these are the things you don’t like or you do like – go to the neighborhood at different times of the day to make your assessment. • ASK: If you see a neighbor out walking the dog, stop and talk with them. Ask if the neighborhood is quiet or noisy? Is there a crime problem or do people leave their doors unlocked? How is the traffic at different times of the day? Do you have a consistent noise problem like a gravel pit nearby, an airstrip, aid car services next door with their high-pitched wail, dogs barking incessantly? (that’s always fun) Is there a house in the neighborhood where illegal activities could be taking place, or just a lot of noisy cars? Do they feel safe in their neighborhood? This is a good question to ask, you will see right away by how they respond. If they don’t feel safe, ask why. If it’s because aliens have landed in their back yard and consistently kidnap the cat and have somehow programed it to speak Spanish for several hours, then I think you should ask another neighbor. Overall, people will be very open with you and give you the information that you need. Ask the seller. Write a short note to the seller and ask if they have a chronic problem with noise. On the State of Alaska Disclosure, there is an area on the last page that talks about noise, you may want to ask them to expound on what they wrote, “Barking dogs”. Does this mean that the neighbor 2 houses down have a couple of yappy Frenchie’s
Brought to you by with “the cone of shame” on their heads, or does this mean that there is a dog team sitting on their dog houses barking at squirrels for hours on end? Ask for clarification. • RESEARCH: Today, we have so many tools right at our fingertips to get all kinds of information. Here are a couple that could help you. No one really wants sex offenders in their neighborhood, but, unfortunately, they are everywhere! If you want to check to see if any live in your area, go to this web site: http://www.dps.state.ak.us This is the state sex offender registry. You can type in an area or address and see what pops up. You can also check to see if your home was ever used to manufacture illegal drugs including meth labs. You can get a list of these homes at http:// www.dec.state.ak.us . As I am sure that most of you know, sometimes, drugs that are used or made in homes can actually get in the walls and make people sick. Now that wouldn’t be fun at all! CCRs, you know what this is, Covenants, Codes and Restrictions. This is going to tell you what kind of people live there. If everyone agrees to live by these rules, it gives you a pretty good idea of what your neighbors will be like. Make sure you read them over before you write an offer, or during your “due diligence” period. This is the time you are allowed to check up on things, get a home inspection and just check things out. Your Realtor will have access to those documents (if there are any). Some subdivisions don’t allow chickens and some people won’t live in a neighborhood that doesn’t allow chickens! You would be surprised as to what is in some of those documents. Some say that you can’t cut down any trees on your property without asking permission. Some say that all vehicles must be parked in a garage – not outside. Some only allow two pets, meaning Fido and Rex are fine, but add a Fluffy and it’s all over! So, read thru these carefully. Okay, almost done but here is another biggy – RESALE CERTIFICATE: This sounds very boring, but it’s quite important. It gives you a history of what has been happening in the neighborhood and who has been following the rules and who has not. It also shows you if they (as a group) even care about the rules! There is also key information in there about potential problems with say... community water systems, private parks in the subdivision and even road issues. So, have I totally burst your home buying bubble? I hope not because most of the time, you will be happy with your home and your neighborhood and if you’re not, call me and we’ll get it on the market!
August 2021
Call Cora Today! Keller Williams Realty Alaska Group Of Wasilla 621 S Knik-Goose Bay Rd Wasilla, AK 99654
www.clcandassoc.com
907.982.5700
GreatLander Real Estate Guide
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