Be sure to find out the following information:

1. Tax rates for the area (you should be able to get this from your real estate agent ).

2. Covenants Many neighborhoods may have covenants you will be required to follow. Here are some examples:

• How many outbuildings you can have and/or build
• House paint color guidelines
• Maximum number of pets allowed

Your real estate agent can provide this information to you.

3. Crime rates -- You want your family and your possessions to be safe, so be sure to check out the rate of personal and property crime in your area. Call the local police department and talk to the Public Information Officer.

4. Zoning -- What’s the neighborhood zoning? Could you wake up one morning with an office building going up across the street? Ask your real estate agent or check with the local library for help in identifying any zoning issues.

5. Try to find out about natural hazards that may or may not be obvious. Is your neighborhood of choice:

• On a flood plain
• In a weather conversion zone
• Over an earthquake fault
• In a wetland area
• In a potential wildfire zone
• Near a:

• Super Fund site
• Solid waste landfill
• Leaking underground storage tanks

To check out these hazards and more, you may want to pay for a risk report. Check out e-risk.com or check the website of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc where you can generate a map illustrating recent as well as historical hazards like floods, earthquake, hail, or wind storms.