1)    Do you need to be close to Boston?

Some South Shore communities offer easier access to major highways and public transportation than others. Check out the commuter options in the community you’re interested in. Does it have an MBTA rail stop? Is bus or ferry service to Boston available? Do you prefer living in an area that is accessible only by secondary roads or do you want to be able to jump on and off the highway in your own town?

2)    How much home can you afford?

It’s a good idea to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before you start shopping for South Shore Real Estate. You may love the houses in Hingham, Duxbury or Cohasset, but they may be out of your financial reach. If money is an issue, try searching for homes in towns where you will be able to buy more house for less money.

3)    Do you want to live in a town that has major shopping areas, fast food restaurants and cineplexes?

If so, Braintree, Hanover or Kingston may be a better bet for you than smaller South Shore communities.

4)    How important is it to you to live by the sea?

If living on or near the ocean is a priority for you, you have a lot of choices on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Beautiful water views are available from front porches and bay windows throughout the area.  If money is no object, check out properties for sale along majestic Jerusalem Road in Cohasset, on Scituate’s First Cliff, at World’s End in Hingham, or in the Powder Point neighborhood of Duxbury. On a tighter budget, you can purchase views of the same Atlantic Ocean for less money in communities like Weymouth, Quincy, Marshfield, Hull, or Plymouth.

5)    Do you know what the neighborhood is really like?

No matter what South Shore town you decide to settle in, do your homework before you buy. Visit the neighborhood during rush hour, at night and on weekends. What may seem like a quiet side street when you visit an open house on a Sunday morning may be a cut-through road for commuters during the week or a nightly hangout for local teenagers.

6)    Have you done your homework?

Before you consider buying a home in a particular community, “Google” the town and see what’s been written in newspapers or on-line about the area. If its schools are troubled or if it’s just been honored with a national award, you will want to know that. Do some research, talk to residents, and “feel out” the flavor of your South Shore community before you call it home.