A local Realtor called me yesterday asking if I had any resources to help her find the owner occupancy rates for a particular zip code in the Sacramento area. One of her investor clients needed more specific information about a neighborhood he is considering buying in.
Off the top of my head, I suggested the Census Bureau or maybe the Post Office or city websites (for free resources), but through the course of research and conversation with colleagues on the REAA forum, I now have a pretty good list to give to my Realtor contact. I figured this information might be useful to others, so here you go.
United States Census Bureau
Motovo “neighborhood” search (www.movoto.com)
Brainy Zip (www.brainyzip.com)
Neighborhood Scout (www.neighborhoodscout.com)
City Data (www.city-data.com)
Tax Records Search (www.realist.com) – paid service – available through MLS
Do you have any other resources to add? Comment below. Also, what other websites do you think investors or home owners should take a look at before making a purchase?
Hey Ryan,
Man, thank you for this valuable tip and for the links. I think from a valuation perspective, it’s important to know these 2 percentages. As for other sites to look before making a purchase, I personally like cyberhomes.com because of the “Big Picture” I can glean about my market, from which my own MLS does a poor job of showing me. Thank you so much! Bill Cobb
Thanks Bill. I appreciate the addition of cyberhomes to the list. Very nice. I’d encourage buyers to look at unemployment figures too just so they are aware of a very current economic indicator for a particular city or place. http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov