Imagine you were hired to investigate a community and report on what the community is like based on information you can find online. Put your Magnum P.I. thinking cap on. What websites would you bookmark for research? What resources are available to give insight into the DNA of a neighborhood?
Maybe you’d interrogate the usual suspects like Megan’s Law, City-Data, Great Schools or Zillow among others I mentioned in a previous post. But what about the following ones? Would these be helpful to understand a community?
1) Unemployment Rates: EDD posts current and historical unemployment rates for cities and census designated places in California.
2) FBI Uniform Crime Report: This website lists all offenses reported to law enforcement (categorized by state and cities with 100,000 or more in population).
3) Nuclear Power Plants in United States: In case you wondered if there was a nuclear power plant near your house, check out the “Nukes Near Me” website (the link was removed on 10/01/2013 since it became a porn site instead of a nuclear power site).
4) Superfund Directory: Find out which sites near you are categorized as “Superfund” sites by the EPA. Search by state, congressional district or site name.
5) DEA National “Drug Lab” Register: This website by the U.S. Department of Justice contains addresses of some locations where law enforcement agencies reported they found chemicals or other items that indicated the presence of either clandestine drug laboratories or dumpsites (verbatim from website).
I definitely don’t have a P.I. designation, thick 80s mustache or red Ferrari, but my job as a real estate appraiser in Sacramento does have striking similarity with Tom Selleck. Okay, maybe that’s wishful thinking. I suppose it’s hardly similar, but the nature of real estate research does involve investigation and require information from some of the sources above, interviews with local agents and expertise to sift through and interpret often conflicting market data. There is so much that goes into really knowing the local real estate market.
What websites would you add to the list?
If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.
It’s important to do your homework when you purchase a property or move into a different community, right? After all, when escrow closes or the rental contract is signed, you’re stuck to a certain degree (obviously more stuck when you buy). Here is a list of websites I recommend checking out to help better understand a particular neighborhood or community – not just during the home-buying process either. It constantly amazes me just how much information we can find online.