Better Living Through Chemistry - Where To Live

I apologize for the delay between these entries, but I was on vacation. Then I spent the last two weekends sleeping on a museum floor. The time in between, at night, I didn't want to do anything but dream about still being on a beach with a drink in a coconut in my hand. Just like the picture of me on the left. Wow! I'm pasty white.

No more vacation; I'm back. So let's get on with the second installment of Better Living Through Chemistry: Where To Live

So you've figured out what you're going to do, but have you decided where to go? You might have an idea of neighborhoods, but don't just pick some place because of popularity. Be sure to explore each area before making a decision. I'm not suggesting you walk every inch of every neighborhood you have an interest in; that's what the internet is for! Search for things like groceries, nightlife, public transportation, etc. This way you find an area that has the things you want and some of the things you don't want.

To make your search easier for a home. Enter my favorite tool - Padmapper.

This handy website will help you out in your search to find the perfect place. The site pulls listing information from several websites. You can narrow your search by putting in the zip code, or just by entering in a city, state combo and dragging the Google Map image around. It comes with the ability to customize your search - No. of Bedrooms or bathrooms, Rent, Pets, etc. Also, you can save the search and get e-mail updates for incase something new pops up.

Now, it may not show you your dream place, but it will give you an average rent cost for the area. Each listing will come with a comparison vs. the median for whichever type of dwelling you're looking at. When looking for a place, nothing beats walking the neighborhood, but going in with information can only help.