Does the Property Meet the "Lifestyle Test"

Lifestyle is a very important criterion when you're shopping for a new home. After all, a home and its surrounding neighborhood are the places where much of your lifestyle is going to be experienced.

So when you consider a new home, thing about the kind of lifestyle to which the property needs to lend itself. Ask yourself:

• How much entertaining do we do?

• How important is it to have good schools located nearby?

• How long will the commute to work be?

• How big of a backyard do we require?

• Do we need a rec room?

• How easy will it be to get to golfing, dance lessons, baseball practices, movies and other activities my family and I enjoy?

• How important is it to be in a quiet area?

• Do we want a local park nearby for jogging, playing with the kids, and walking the dog?

This list is just an example. Ideally, you'll create your own list of questions to ask yourself when considering a particular home and neighborhood.