5 Places It Pays to Have Your Home Near

Using data from the National Association of Realtors, the National Association of Home Builders, and the Appraisal Institute, TheStreet determined five places home buyers should seek to live near to ensure their homes retain their value. Residences near good school systems will retain their value, with a joint UCLA and Dartmouth College study in 2004 indicating that homes in school districts where average test scores are in the top 25 percent are worth 10 percent more than dwellings where the average test scores are in the bottom 25 percent. Graveyards are another nearby presence that potentially bode well for residential values. The Appraisal Journal found that homes near a certain well-maintained cemetery in Ohio were worth 8.8 percent more than other homes in the area, as the cemetery offers a park-like view and a place to walk or jog. Homes near parks, golf courses, and bodies of water also carry a premium. The Appraisal Journal says homes near a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in South Carolina boasted premiums between 42 percent and 85 percent, homes with views of a lake were worth 94 percent to 133 percent more, and homes on the water commanded premiums of 124 percent to 287 percent. | Read More