Before you make the final decision to buy a home in a particular area (after you've checked that the school system is a sound one), check out www.houseappreciation.com.Their residential real estate ratings system includes only neighborhoods they believe to be in the top 32 percent in the United States in projected appreciation value.

By utilizing those two Web sites, you'll have a good shot at picking a home and a good school system in the same area!!

Dolan Smart Money Move : Our advice is to always buy the worst home in a good neighborhood rather than the best home in a bad neighborhood. Unless there's something special going on in your area that might create a chic buzz in a downtrodden part of town, assume that in 10 years your neighborhood will look pretty much as it does now. If you're in a desirable part of town, you can be pretty sure that renovations or additions will boost the value of your home.

On the other hand, if you can find a foreclosed home, a quick estate sale, or a fixer-upper in a good area, this is a bargain you might want to grab, especially if you're handy enough with tools and have the time, money, and inclination to fix it up. You can still build equity fast if you give your house a complete makeover.

Okay, you've found a house you like. At this point you might even have two or three houses in mind. Move on to step 3.

Step 3: Find Out Where the Bodies Are Buried

We're speaking figuratively, we hope! However, you have a right to know all the secrets contained within the walls. Ask the broker, either yours or the seller's agent, anything you haven't been told about the house and its current or previous occupants. Play detective. You want satisfactory answers to the following questions:

• How long has the house been on the market? If comparable houses in the area get snapped up while this one has been sitting for six months, why? Most brokers have access to Multiple Listing Service (MLS), a computerized database that will tell them the listing date and the length of time it typically takes to a sell a home in that area.
• Is there any structural damage?
• Are there any problems in the neighborhood, such as crime, poor schools, barking dogs, feuds?
• If the present owner is there at all when you visit, are both spouses present? If not, why? Are they divorced or separated? Has one moved because of a job transfer? If the sellers are anxious to sell, they might accept a lower offer. (We'll give you some advice in a moment on making the offer.)

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