Jason Robie: Three important factors in picking your home: location, location and location

‘Tis the season for home buying. The tire-kickers are coming out in force and those who were waiting for the inclement weather to wane (current weather notwithstanding) are starting to peek out of their warm shelters and begin the hunt in earnest. If you are one of the many itching to claim a new address, today I want to talk a bit about the area surrounding your dream home. Although your eventual home may have an expansive kitchen, countless closets and a garage to make Jay Leno drool, if the neighborhood in which it resides has more challenges than you want to deal with, it could turn your dream into a nightmare. Let’s peek at a few precautions.

I’ve been fortunate with my neighbors. Over in Lincoln my first neighbor was a fishing buddy of mine, and they had frequent bon-fire parties during the summer. A quick walk through the small line of bushes brought me to the fire pit and one end of the horseshoe area. I couldn’t have asked for a better location. After that, when I built my house, my only neighbors were trees. Again, it was simply ideal. But that is not always the case.