Spring House Hunt: Best place to check out town may be checkout counter
We ask realtors and homeowners to share their best strategies. Where you should look may surprise you.
Picking the right home can seem like a colossal task. Realtor Ellen Crawford of Century 21 Commonwealth in Lynnfield estimates that she typically shows clients five to 10 houses before they find the one.
To make the decision more manageable, we asked homeowners and realtors to share their best strategies.
Beyond the listing
When Cynthia Wachs, mother of two, was house hunting 13 years ago, she checked out more than the schools and libraries. After narrowing her options, Wachs discovered that the best judge of a neighborhood is — its grocery store.
“You learn a lot about the town when you’re in the grocery store,’’ she said. “Everyone has to eat.’’
For every neighborhood she was considering, Wachs visited its grocery store three times: once in the morning, once at night, and once on a weekend.
Wachs, then a philanthropic adviser and consultant in her early 40s, was looking in Wellesley, Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, and Lexington. As the mother of a first-grader and a preschooler, she had pored over statistics about school systems and the resources in each town. She wanted to get a sense of the people in the town. “It was spot on,’’ she said of her grocery store method.
Wachs paid close attention to the friendliness of the shoppers and staff and the food on the shelves. A big turnoff for her was unpleasantness at the checkout. If the employee smiled back at her in the aisles, it would earn the town brownie points.
The grocery stores with mothers who wore full faces of makeup at 8 a.m.? Not for her. “It’s nothing against those people,’’ Wachs said, but she was more comfortable with “a less well-appointed outfit and togetherness’’ at the market.
She chose Weston, which had a grocery store where women with no makeup and ponytails beamed at one another as they shopped.
“It was just a kind, authentic, no stress, no judgment environment,’’ Wachs said. “It has been the best decision I ever made.’’
Time your trips
When Kevin Green and his wife, Melanie, were looking for a home this past summer, their commute was a major consideration. And given that the commute into Boston is reportedly getting longer, it should factor into every house hunter’s decision.
Kevin wanted a painless commute to Woburn, where he works as a senior immigration specialist and recruiting consultant at Randstad Technologies. Melanie needed to be close to the Orange Line to get to her job as a business and data analyst at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The couple worked with Joselin Malkhasian of Lamacchia Realty, and viewed homes in Medford, Melrose, and Stoneham.
“Oftentimes, I feel like people do forget about their commute,’’ said Malkhasian.
Malkhasian always suggests that her clients try the commute to and from the neighborhood during rush hour.
“Doing it on a Saturday is one thing. Doing it in gridlock traffic is another,’’ she said. She recommends locating all of the nearest public transit stops, too.
The Greens tried their commutes a few times. It was a difficult to test during the week, so they checked out multiple modes of transportation on the weekends, from driving to hopping on a train to calling an Uber.
The couple eventually gave the green light to a house in Medford. He drives 13 minutes to Woburn, while she takes the train into the city.
Study
Crawford’s seven years as a realtor have taught her that finding the right home is all about doing a double-take.
“We always suggest going back to a home more than once,’’ she said. “Sometimes you see things you don’t see the first time.’’
Crawford gives her clients copies of the local newspaper, so they can get a feel for what goes on in the community. She directs them to local government and recreational websites. Attending local school events and programs can also help families get a sense of the community, she said.
Every client is different, Crawford emphasized. Some house hunters want to live on a busy street in walking distance from downtown. Others might be looking to settle down near a park or school. Some want a house that is move-in ready. Others don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease.
“You’re always going to have to make certain sacrifices,’’ Green said. “Everyone has different interests and needs. It’s about weighing what you need and what you don’t need.’’
Malkhasian always tells clients to choose a neighborhood that suits their lifestyle. If they have kids, she recommends visiting the library or checking out free family events. Above all, she said, “It’s about getting a feeling.’’
“If you get this feeling that ‘This can be my home,’ trust that,’’ Malkhasian said.
And if you need milk, it can’t hurt to check out the local grocery, as well.
Nicole DeFeudis can be reached at [email protected]. Subscribe to our free real estate newsletter — our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design — at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.
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