Photo by David Mark via Pixabay

Picking the right veterinarian for your pets matters. It will put you at ease every time they need a healing touch. Whether you're new in town, or your pet has a specific issue you'd like carefully tended, here's how to find a vet who will offer you a high standard of care.

Finding the Best Vet in Town: Where to Start

You can start with a simple search: "veterinarian near me." Then, take a look at each website that comes up on the first page of search results. Check out the vets' biographies. Do they belong to the American Veterinary Medical Association? What about your state's or region's veterinary medical association? These are key credentials.

Now, talk with your neighbors who take a keen interest in their pets' well-being. They will be able to give you recommendations. Don't just ask your neighbor which office they use. Ask which of the practice's vets they couldn't do without!

Confirming What You Learn: Supplementing Your Pick With an Online Search

The two strategies above, combined, will start a solid, well-informed search.

Round your strategy out by going onto the online review sites (such as Yelp or Google), and confirm the opinion you have made.

Sure, some people use review sites to vent. But many clients use the sites to praise particular vets and their pets' experiences. And the negative reviews are likely to be answered in a polite, professional way by a good veterinary office.

Your Pet's First Visit: How You'll Know You've Found the Right Expert 

During your first appointment, consider all of these aspects good signs:

• The place is clean. It looks busy, but not unmanageably hectic.
• The office staff members are polite and understanding when answering calls.
• Both the staff and the vet make you and your pet feel respected, and put you at ease. 
• There is a caring protocol for pets' pain management. Neutering and spaying, for example, include pain relief medicine.

You'll want to know there are at least two vets on staff, to offer adequate coverage for absences. And the office should offer at least some weekend hours.

Changing Course: When the Time Comes to Switch Vet Practices

Do not be embarrassed about switching to a new vet if you develop concerns about your current practice. You might also just wish to go with another, highly recommended vet.

But do collect all the necessary information before you switch. Ask for full records pertaining to your pet. These might be handed to you on a disk, or sent directly to your new vet.

Best wishes settling in with the perfect vet to oversee the health of your best buddies for life.

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Photo by Robert Arthur Designs via Shutterstock

If you’re moving to a new city, particularly an area with new development, you may discover that most homes are part of a homeowner’s association. If you’ve never been part of one before, you might not understand their function and why they are useful within a neighborhood.

When an association functions properly, it improves the value of homes in the community. The rules and conditions keep your neighbors from infringing on your rights and vice versa.

Here’s a brief list of how your HOA benefits you:

• It handles disputes between neighbors, so if your neighbor’s tree falls on your fence, the association mediates getting your fence repaired. Rules regarding approval for changes, renovations or upgrades to exteriors keep your neighbor from adding a second story that blocks your lake view or changing their exterior to a particularly obnoxious shade of orange.
• It gives access to and maintains shared or common property. Typically, playgrounds, pools and parks fall into this category. In the case of condominiums and patio homes, the HOA often handles repairs to the exterior, roofs, elevators, garage doors and fences. Entry doors, hallways, and security also often fall under the jurisdiction of the association.
• Many HOAs hire a property management service to take care of entry gates for a gated community, make agreements for waste removal and negotiate with the city regarding rezoning that might affect your home.
• In some cases, HOAs handle the landscaping on the front of your home so that you only take care of your enclosed back yard or patio. For busy homeowners, this is quite an advantage. Other associations merely govern how long you can let your grass grow. This protects you from a negligent property owner that doesn’t take care of the house down the street.

While some of the rules may seem onerous, quizzing longtime residents can give insight into why one or another was added. A rule about basketball hoops in the driveway might make it seem as if they don’t want your kids playing out front. But perhaps the rule resulted from a freak windstorm that sent a freestanding basketball hoop across the street and through a neighbor’s window. Unless you ask, you don’t know.

Take time to attend your HOA meetings and become involved in the community. Even run for office and make your voice heard. If you have questions about living in an HOA community, your professional real estate agent can answer them.

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