Buying a home raises many questions. What does your family need? What area is the best to raise a family? Research skills are essential when beginning the buying process. You’ll need to compare the homes you find to ascertain which one might be the best fit. This is when the needs of both the budget and your family come into play.

Some homebuyers decide to look into a master planned community in the hopes that doing so will fulfill their dreams. There is nothing wrong with this strategy. If you are unfamiliar with what a master planned community offers, keep reading for a few key points.

What to Look For In a Planned Community.

As with most things, each master planned community is its own entity with its own rules. There will be some similarities of course because there are a group of features that make a planned community what it is. To begin, you might wonder what the term means.

What Are the Benefits of a Master Planned Community?

A master planned community is any large-scale residential neighborhood that can boast of offering commercial and recreational amenities. These are also frequently close to community perks such as freeways, shopping centers, and parks. As you might guess, these are nice features that often align with the needs of families. However, not every homebuyer is looking for the perfect home for their family.

The safety of a planned community can also appeal to most buyers. The community will likely be gated, and some even have a guard posted at the main entrance. As all master planned communities are different, there are different features available at each. Some places do offer closed caption television, or CCTV monitoring. Many communities install a home owners association, or HOA, for keeping residents aligned with the community values and standards.

What Are the Downsides of Living In a Master Planned Community?

The perks of a planned community are subjective. Some homebuyers have different priorities. The features that may appeal to a growing family may seem unnecessary to a young couple. The HOA especially can be grating to some homeowners who prefer to have no regulations concerning the appearance of their home.

For example, one survey found that 83% of participants thought that a home with a yard was important. Of those homeowners with a yard about 90% said a yard must be well-maintained. An HOA would have regulations about how each home’s yard may look, down to the length of time holiday decorations can be displayed.

About 41% of the population would prefer to buy a newly built home over other options. When looking into new housing developments, it is important to not get carried away with the prospect of a shiny new home. Remember to research homes that will meet your requirements. This might lead you to a home in a master planned community depending on what you are looking for in a home.