Life Events Life events pose a unique challenge because each is a new or infrequent occurrence for which many people have little or no prior experience. For many, buying a home is the single largest transaction that we will ever make. Not only is the mortgage likely to draw off a considerable chunk of our paycheck for up to 30 years, but the care and maintenance of a home is equally consuming. Here is our advice on this topic.	/	Housing / Buying a Home / Schools
		If you have children, or expect to, the quality of the local schools should concern you. Whether you are contemplating sending your children to local public or private schools, look for statistics from the state department of education on the performance of the local students on standardized tests. While this is not a foolproof barometer, it should give you an indication of the strength of the local educational system. Consider how your children they are expected to get to school and back home. If this creates irreconcilable logistical obstacles given your own schedule and commute, it's better to determine this in advance, before you move. Also understand what is expected of you in case of emergency school closings, late starts, and early dismissals. Even if you will not have children in the local schools, the quality of the local schools should concern you to some degree. This may be an indicator of the overall desirability of the area and its inhabitants and most likely will affect the value of your home. That said, if you do not plan on raising children and are not planning on selling your home for many years (since school quality can change over time), then you may find better home value buying a home in a lower quality school district.

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