The San Francisco Peninsula Real Estate Blog

There’s absolutely no doubt that the quality of the public school district is one of the top decision criteria for home buyers as they decide where they will ultimately live.  Parents want the best schools for their kids, and home-buyers want their investment to retain value.  Homes in the more desirable school districts fetch higher prices, almost as if they’re tracking the API scores of their respective schools — the higher the API scores, the higher the home prices.   The converse is true as well.

But should you buy a home solely on which school district it resides in?    As some Burlingame families found out this week, the answer is a resounding NO.   Just because you fall within the stated boundaries of a particular school, it does not mean you are guaranteed to get into that school.    Residents in certain San Carlos school boundaries found this out last year.   Clearly, in the case of Lincoln Elementary School, there were examples of inexplicable miscommunication on behalf the School District.  But at the end of the day, this is of no consolation to those parents who will have to enroll their children in other schools.

What can you do?

If you’re searching for a home, and the school district is of paramount concern to you, the best thing you can do is arm yourself with as much information as possible.   Here are three key things you can do to ensure you’re making the right decision:

1. Interview the School Principal.  Find out what the current enrollment is, and what the trends are (increasing or decreasing?)   What percentage of capacity is the school currently at?   When are they projected to be full?   What plans are there to increase capacity?   Meet with the Principal in person, if possible.
2. Understand the District’s policy on Impaction.   What happens when a school is impacted?   How does the District handle decisions on inter-district transfers?  Does having a sibling in the school give higher priority.   These decisions are almost always made at the District level, so get in touch with the respective district and understand their policy.   Call the superintendent if you need to.
3. How are the adjacent schools? It’s not uncommon on the  Peninsula to have a high-scoring school adjacent to under-achieving ones.   Check out the schools adjacent to the area you are searching in.   If you wouldn’t send your kids to any of those, then you’re taking a much bigger risk by buying into a single district.

The bottom line?  Do your homework.  Every school on the Peninsula has its own website, and every School District has one as well.   The contact information for the Superintendent, Principal, and School Board Members is readily accessible.     Be the one to initiate the contact, ask questions, and make yourself a pain-in-the-rear if need be.    Don’t put yourself in a situation where you will suddenly resent the biggest purchase that you’ll likely ever make.

There’s simply too much at stake….

There’s rain in the forecast for this weekend — hooray!  We probably could use the precipitation.   But should it put a damper on your home shopping?  No way.  Quite the contrary…  If you have your eye on a particular home that’s for sale or have you narrowed the candidates down to a short list of a final few,   here’s a really good tip:  Go out and see them again this weekend…while it’s raining.   No, I haven’t lost my mind.   But you’ve already seen them when they’re dolled up at their “best”;  now, go see them at their worst.

Why?  Because a good rainstorm will expose weaknesses in a home that you might never see on a dry, sunny day. Important weaknesses….expensive weaknesses to fix.

Here are a few key things to look for when it’s pouring out:

• Drainage:   This is a big one, and the most obvious.  Is the water draining away from the property as it should, or is it pooling in low spots?  Are the drainspouts clearing water away from the foundation?  Are you getting unwanted drainage from your neighbor’s yard?   Does the water flow down the driveway, or is it sneaking back into the garage?  Does the house get standing water under the foundation?
• Integrity:   Simply put, is the house water-tight?   Are there any leaks in the roof or from the vents?  Are the windows holding out the rain?  Very important–>  check the ground-level rooms to see if any moisture is finding its way in through sliding-glass doors, or up through the foundation.  Many homes with high water tables will have problems with this.
• Odor:   Even if nothing jumps out at you visually, trust your other senses.   Nothing brings out the smell of mold and mildew quicker than exposing it to more moisture.  If the house has that telltale smell, pay attention and find out where it’s coming from.

Homeowners are required to disclose problems like this when they’re selling their house, but don’t assume it always happens.  Find this stuff out for yourself.  A competent property inspector can see signs of water-related problems even when it’s not raining, but there’s nothing like seeing it for yourself.   Fixing drainage problems and water damage can be very expensive, and it’s an issue you need to be fully aware of before you plunk down all that money.

You’ve seen your favorite home at it’s best..now go throw on your boots and raincoat and see how it holds up to a good whipping from Mother Nature.