Finding The Amenities And Services That Matter For Tech Households

20 October 2017
 Categories: Real Estate, Blog

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As you look for a new home, think about everything that could make your life comfortable and convenient. For households that work from home, enjoy fast video streaming for movie nights, or for homes where gaming domination is vital, it's not good enough to buy a beautiful country home with bad internet. Finding a beautiful home isn't all that matters; consider a few amenities and services available for tech households that can't skimp on internet and technology power.

Is Internet Access Really Necessary?

In the early 2000's, basing your home choices or even complaining about internet connectivity may have been seen--often incorrectly--as a "first world problem."

These days, internet access isn't just a convenience to download neat things or look up recipes; students without internet are at a disadvantage, businesses expect employees to be more flexible in their working arrangements (which may or may not be to your benefit), and entertainment in general is highly entertainment-based.

To some people, that's a problem. To others, it's all about how you use it. Internet access is slowly becoming like electricity in that while you don't need it, it can make a lot of things in life easier through not only faster chores, but the ability to move ahead in society by accessing new information. It's not required, but why limit yourself? At least keep the option open.

Play The ISPs Against Each Other

Internet service is loosely regulated to the point that service isn't as consistent as water, or even electricity. Even though electricity is spotty in some parts of the United States, internet can disconnect and slow down to the point of frustration.

Your ISP has to meet a set of terms called a service-level agreement (SLA). Among all of the other details in an SLA, your agreement describes how much speed you're entitled to have and how long a connection can be down. Within the agreed threshold, the companies can afford to ignore you until the problem becomes critical by most standards--especially if they're the only game in town.

It's vital to look for homes that have multiple ISPs in their service area. With more ISPs, you have an opportunity to leave for another company or threaten to leave. Threatening to leave for another ISP can net you some nice bonuses in addition to rushed repairs if there is competition, but this might not work if the ISP knows that they dominate the area.

Look For Hobbyists And Service Centers

Do you need computer repairs pretty often? Do you buy electronics that can't easily be fixed at most big-box stores, or do you need custom pieces made for specific projects? You may need to search for specific communities--even specific cities or counties--that have a thriving hobby and service center population.

In many cases, a hobbyist population is a symptom of industries related to the hobby. Lots of computer repair companies may mean that there's a big computer parts store or manufacturer in the area, and that there may be a lot of hobbyists, independent repair people, and custom system designers to help you out at different levels.

3D printing is another big industry, allowing custom fabrication business to grow out of a living room. If you want help with printing or need something printed with different approaches at engineering, a city that has at least one community-friendly 3D printing workshop will likely have a few people to talk to for your project.

Speak with a team of local real estate agents to talk about the culture and services available, and then the homes that match.