Personal+Finance+-+Housing

Selecting a City

 * How is the job market for your profession? Check **local newspapers** or monster.com websites for job listings.
 * How are the real estate and rental prices? Check **local real estate firms** and **classifieds on newspapers** websites.
 * Will you need a car or is there a strong public transportation system? Check local **public transportation** websites.

Selecting Housing

 * What are the housing prices in the neighborhood? Check local **real estate firms** and **classifieds on newspaper** websites.
 * How safe is the neighborhood? Check local **police reports** for criminal activity.
 * Can you easily get to work by public transportation or driving? Check local **public transportation** websites and Google Maps for driving routes to work.
 * What utilities are included in your rent or condo fees? What bills are you expected to pay on your own?

Buying a condo or house?
> 1. Type in the city and state yoy are interested in. > 2. Use left column to refine search (by type, cost, number of bedrooms, etc.) > 3. Zoom in/out to look for properties or put search results in a list. > 4. Select a home/condo/apartment. > 5. Look for **monthly payments** in green with the current federal % rate.
 * Use bankrate.com to calculate monthly mortgage payments.
 * Use zillow.com to locate properties and **calculate your mortgage payments**:
 * How much will homeowners insurance cost?

Worksheet: