5 Tips for Pricing Homes in Great School Districts
For families on the hunt for a new place to live, school district quality is of prime concern. Whether trying to keep kids close to friends in an existing district or seeking out one where the proverbial grass is greener, many are willing to pay up. But how much should real estate selling be influenced by proximity to a great school? Setting Home Prices in Good School Districts without Pricing Out Buyers When puzzling out prices, consider the following:

Select and Sort Your Way to RPR's Enhanced School Search and Reports
One of the single most important factors in buying a home can be the school district in which it resides. Given RPR's newest release to its school searching and reporting features, REALTORS® now have increased opportunities to find the best fit for their clients. Here's how... Step #1: Search Select Schools from the homepage of www.narrpr.com. Choose to search by geography or school district from the dropdown menu. Select Advanced to search by school name. Enter the city and state, or ZIP and click the orange search button.

Why the School District Should Impact Your Clients' Home Search
Buying a home in a good school district can result in resale advantages, offer protection from market fluctuation and provide a great education. Real estate experts in markets across the country share what consumers should know about a school district's impact on real estate, regardless of whether or not they plan on using the school system. Feel free to share this information with your clients! Determine what you're looking for in a school district Before you begin your search, determine how you are looking to benefit from the school district. According to Aisha J. Thomas, associate broker, The Thomas Agency, the most important quality of a good school district is unique to every buyer. "Although test scores and statistics are a great starting point, schools require a closer look. Factors to consider are the environment, active parental participation, teacher credentials/support, offering of core competencies, extracurricular and after-school options. These factors can contribute to a well-rounded education." "The quality of the school district is one of the first things home buyers evaluate before making a purchase. Many buyers filter their search by only looking for homes in a certain district," says Jake Cain, real estate agent, Keller Williams. "Defining what a 'good' school district is varies from one family to the next. While we often think of high test scores, some families may be concerned with their budding athlete playing for a top program and others may place a particular premium on student to teacher ratio." You don't need to have children to benefit from buying in a top school district. "A home located in a good school district carries the benefit of maintaining its value in comparison to lower tiered school systems," says Linda Brincks, real estate consultant, The Raines Group. "Even if you do not plan to use the school systems yourself, many buyers (especially relocation buyers) will opt for homes in the top notch school systems when it's time to sell the in the future."

Win a Gift from PicketReport.com
This month, we’ve got another Giveaway for you! Some of the leading vendors in real estate technology are participating — including PicketReport.com. We'll tell you all about PicketReport.com here, but there are other gifts to explore. Click here to see your options.   Gift from PicketReport.comPicketReport.com will be giving away a 1-year subscription of their widget   About PicketReport.comPicketReport.com is a neighborhood research tool. The site provides information about what’s nearby, crime/safety, lifestyles, schools, etc. The way PicketReport.com works is simple. Begin by entering a city, zip code, or an address for an area of interest. The map will display lifestyle information, as well as a “story” for the typical resident of that area.  The map will also who icons for crime, schools, and neighborhood details. Click on an icon to learn more. PicketReport.com is a data aggregation company. Their data comes from a variety of different sources, companies that pull from over 300 sources to provide over 100 million neighborhood and property details.