Buyers can dig up info for family homeResale Homes Report

Q: I have children and want to find an area with good schools and a low crime rate. I want to be able to do as much research as I can to find the best place in town for me and my family. What resources are available to help find the best place for my family?

-- Karen L., Las Vegas

A: I can relate to your question. After all, we all want to find the best possible home in the best possible neighborhood, especially for our children.

Living in a good neighborhood is one of the best moves we can make to minimize the risks that we all face and to keep our loved ones and properties more secure.

To find the right home in the right neighborhood for you, you should first seek the assistance of a professional Realtor. You should also start by defining what you want. Determine how important it is to be close to where you work and where you usually go to visit your friends, family and favorite places to eat, shop, play, etc.

For instance, many local families are reluctant to move if it means their children will have to change schools.

Many families prefer to stay in a part of town that feels most familiar to them, be it more established areas of Las Vegas or popular suburban areas like Summerlin on the west side of the valley or Green Valley in Henderson where planned communities are the norm.

An increasing number of local homeowners are choosing to live in neighborhoods governed by some sort of homeowners association. Others prefer a traditional neighborhood and bristle at the rules that go along with living in an association.

Once you've made these lifestyle decisions, a good place to visit is a Web site like LasVegasRealtor.com. While visiting LasVegasRealtor.com, click on "consumers" and scroll through the options listed under "community info."

There, you'll find links to local resources, relocation, schools, weather and attractions.

Of course, the best source of general information about local schools is the Clark County School District, which operates more than 320 schools serving more than 300,000 students. An aggressive program of school construction adds several new schools each year. The CCSD also has vocational-technical schools, magnet schools, evening schools and special programs for academically talented and for physically and mentally impaired children. Contact the CCSD at 799-5011 or visit ccsd.net for more information.

Southern Nevada is also home to more than 100 private schools, many of which are located in growing suburban parts of the Las Vegas Valley. You may want to look into these individually, if you're interested.

As for determining crime rates for specific parts of town, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recently launched a new feature on its Web site that gives residents an idea of crime rates for areas within the department's jurisdiction (which does not include North Las Vegas and Henderson). Check it out at lvmpd.com/crimeview. As the disclaimer states, note this database contains up to 60 days of information provided to Metro by the public. It has not necessarily been verified by police and is subject to further investigation.

Whatever your priorities, another good move is to enlist the help of a qualified local Realtor who can direct you to more specific information about areas that interest you.

Whether you're looking for a good school or a good Realtor, it also helps to ask people you know and trust. In your case, this may include people who live in the neighborhoods you're considering, those who recently moved into the area and those whose children attend nearby schools.

I hope this helps. Happy house-hunting.

Patty Kelley is the president of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors and has worked in the real estate industry for more than 30 years. GLVAR has nearly 16,000 members. To ask Kelley a question, e-mail her at ask@glvar.org. For more information, visit lasvegasRealtor.com.