There are obviously many reasons when it comes to picking a neighborhood, some helpful and some not so helpful. The default reason that is most often cited is familiarity, which is important but there are other reasons to consider also. Let's discover what they are.

A case in point, most likely you will be living in your new home for a number of years. The average person lives in their home five to seven years before moving. In today's economic setting that may rise. So thinking long term is important when deciding where you are going to buy a house.

Along the same line, look for communities and neighborhoods that fit your daily life. For most people distance from work is an important consideration. Of course, more and more people are able to work from home. So for all the non-commuter who are not worrying about the price of gasoline, the number of miles to your job's headquarters is not as crucial. But for those who work outside a home office, cities spreading over many miles can cause timely commutes for workers.

In cities that offer convenient transportation systems such as bus, train and subway systems it may be more important to find a home that is close to these services. To be close to the physical location of your work or office may not be as important.

If someone with children is buying a house, it is important to consider school systems. When you have small children you may have the added need of preschool childcare. Owning a home convenient to your childcare services and schools can add or decrease hours at the end and beginning of your day when you feel most rushed. Of course not all childcare services are created equal so it is important to adequately research available sources.

Accordingly, if you have school age kids then proximity to school and after school care programs is necessary. Of course quality of education is important to every family. Since you are most likely going to live in this house for at least a few years you want to be sure to research programs that meet your child's requirements.

Americans love the freedom of choosing different lifestyles. So it is important to examine your preferences when finding a community to call home. Beside issues like work and school, there are other important reasons to decide where you want to live.

Convenience to grocery shopping can mean a lot. Most people frequent the grocery store at least once a week and if you are like most folks, you use several stores to buy your meat, staples and fresh fruit and vegetables.

By the same token, for many Americans, casual shopping is the national past time. If this describes you, availability to department stores can be significant. If you love to shop consider finding an area to buy a home that caters to your passions.

Available enrichment within the community is not to be overlooked. Usually we consider number of bedrooms and bathrooms but how about nearby entertainment. You may enjoy frequenting cultural locations. Do you like city parks, community theater and libraries? Is being close to nature a good stress reliever after work and during week-ends. You might enjoy paths for biking and jogging or simply going to the gym. Once you determine the activities most important to you, you can look for a house that makes doing what you love convenient.

Certainly, the most important issue when it comes to finding a community to call home is comfort. Ask yourself this question before you decide on a location. Do I feel at home here? If you can say the house you have found feels like home sweet home, you may have found the perfect place to call your very own.