you are a family man and your wife and kids will be moving with you, you have to involve them in the decision process. get input from your family members and your friends. you should use your common sense as well as your power for “feeling” a particular place.
home buying is not like shopping for your grocery items. it takes a keen observation and careful attention to details. in choosing a place to live, you should consider such factors are the flow of traffic, location of schools, where people are shopping, the toxic and noisy areas of town and other similar factors.
my suggestion is for you to rent a place 