This is why digging into local details such as safety, walkability, nearby schools, and other local demographics beforehand is crucial. It will help you determine if your potential neighborhood suits you, which could save you from lots of headaches or getting buyer’s remorse later on.
However, there are specific questions that real estate professionals cannot answer due to guidelines set by the Fair Housing Act, originally passed in 1968, which prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability. They may not be able to disclose statistics regarding some issues, such as anything related to crime and safety, because it could be a reference, intentionally or not, to the racial makeup of the neighborhood.
So if you are curious about crime statistics, school information, and other local demographic data, you may need to look them up yourself. Just remember to take any information you find with a grain of salt. Consider them carefully because not all data fairly represent the neighborhood and may carry a certain amount of bias in them.
And while property values in a particular neighborhood won’t give you the bigger picture, they’re worth looking into especially if you’re thinking of your home as a long-term investment.
Also similar: CrimeReports
CrimeReports or CityProtect is a map-based site that shows you up-to-date data on crimes or incidents that have recently occurred in your area. To use it, just type the address or ZIP code of your potential neighborhood and see what pops up on the map.
