Buying a New Home but Worried About the Neighborhood?

If you’re buying a home, you have a lot on your mind.  You love the house, so you’re learning about mortgages and insurance and title and inspections.  You still have to figure out whether your furniture will fit, what colors to paint the walls, and what repairs you will have to complete prior to moving in.  And of course, there’s the move itself.  A lot to worry about, right?  But there is still more on your mind — what about my new neighbors?  Is this the right neighborhood to raise my kids in?  Will my family be safe?  A thought is nagging you from the depths of your mind:  am I making the right decision?

Of course, you don’t really know what type of people your neighbors are.  Hopefully they’ll be kind, friendly people and welcome you with muffins, cookies, and open arms.  You won’t really know until you interact with them.  But there is a little bit you can do to put your mind at peace.  At the very least, you can check and make sure none of your neighbors are felons or sex offenders. 

There are some websites that list felons on a national level.  For example, on FelonSpy, you can enter a street address and pull up area felons.  Of course, general websites such as FelonSpy are not necessarily updated regularly, and a felon may move but still appear at an old address and not at his or her new address.

Illinois also keeps a list of sex offenders at its online Illinois Sex Offender Information website.  Because of Illinois registration requirements, this site is fairly up-to-date. 

These sites may help you decide if your new home is in the right neighborhood for you.  While the sites can’t help you pack your boxes or paint your new home, at least they’ll bring you some peace of mind!