How to Find the Best Candy Houses on Halloween

As I discussed in my blog on the top costumes of 2016 according to Google Trends, Halloween is about two things: costumes and candy. While some trick or treaters aim to get praise for their creative costumes, most Halloween goals revolve around candy.

Often times kids will measure the success of their Halloween haul by how many pounds of candy they collected, but as my seventh grade social studies teacher often preached, “Quality is better than quantity.”

After all, no one wants 10lbs of peanuts, pretzels, and candy corn. So to make sure you get the tastiest of treats this Halloween, here are four tips to help you find the best candy houses.

1. They have great decorations 

If a household is willing to transform their front yard into an eerily perfect haunted graveyard, there’s a good chance that they’re going to put in the extra effort with their candy. I’m not saying that there’s always a direct relationship between the amount of decorations and the quality of the candy, but it’s true enough to warrant an investigation of any house with more than just a few jack o lanterns.

2. Lots of kids are going there

I understand that you don’t know what you’re going to get until you walk up to the door, but if a house is flooded with trick or treaters, I’d be willing to bet that they aren’t serving up fun size granola bars. The key here is to hone in on the details; use all of your senses to try and get a read on the crowd. Are they excitedly skipping down from the front steps? Do you hear high pitched giggles? Smiling faces are the surest sign, but with masks, makeup, and the dark of night, you can’t always count on visual clues.

3. Talk to other trick or treaters

It might seem a little odd to engage in a conversation with a masked stranger, but talking to other trick or treaters is the ultimate way to ensure you are hitting all of the top candy houses. Maybe try breaking the ice with a comment about their costume. After that, you could get the candy conversation going by talking about one of the best houses you’ve visited so far. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is definitely worth the satisfaction you will feel when you have a pillow case filled to the brim with king sized candy bars. Who knows, you might even make some new friends.

4. Use an App

For the technologically advanced, you can check out the app Nextdoor, which allows neighbors to post about their surrounding houses. There’s probably not going to be information on every single house, but it’s worth looking into if you’re really trying to cover all of your angles. You could even get some good karma by posting about the houses you’ve gone to.

Bottom Line

Using a little common sense and some critical thinking will go a long way when you’re out on the candy hunt. Just be safe out there, and after you’ve chowed down on your seemingly endless supply of quality treats—make sure to brush your teeth!

 

Photos via residencestyle and zliving.

from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2dUq5LL