Home How do you know if a neighborhood is safe?

[brooklyngirl]

Here''s yet another home buying advice thread.

DH and new to the Bay Area, and are looking to buy a house. I saw a house that I think we might be interested in. My only issue is that I don''t know if the neighborhood it''s in is safe. My real estate agent cannot disclose to me if she knows of that a particular neighborhood isn''t good.

She suggested I go on the crime reports website to view all the reports for the area. I did, and I"m not sure what to make of it. Here''s a link to an intersection close to the house (house is in surrounding few blocks). I"m not sure if these reports are something I should worry about.

I thought the neighborhood we lived in in NYC was safe, but the area is not covered on the crime reports site, so I have nothing to compare it to.

What do you think?
Crime Report

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Why can''t she disclose that information? Surely there are tactful ways to do it?

You could always call the business line at the local PD and speak with someone there. They should be willing to help.

Unless your house is the only one on the block, you never know if you nh is safe. You never know what your neighbors are doing or who they really are. For example. Prior to moving to RI, I lived next door to a really nice guy. He was friendly, helpful, and he really looked out for the neighborhood and me as a young single gal living alone....He also had a MAJOR pot farming business going in his basement. You just never know...

 

[neatfreak]

Well...we are in the same position in the bay area...and we got an agent who has no problem telling us her opinion of the neighborhood (on the DL of course). Our agent is in the East Bay or else I would pass along her info!

Can you go there and walk/drive around at night? That's usually a good indication of what happens there on a regular basis. Esp. a saturday night if you can.


And I second HH's advice of talking to the police-they might be willing to help you.

 

[brooklyngirl]

HH - Well, according to the fair housing act it is illegal for an RE agent to disclose the information

. She did say one sign of a good neighborhood is that the houses are well maintained, and I definitely agree with that. But, I don''t know if that''s enough for me to judge.

The other issue with the crime reports is that they don''t provide enough detail. For instance if there''s a report of drug possession, I''d like to know the drug in question (i.e. if it''s weed, that doesn''t really bother me, if it''s crack, I have big problem with that).

I really just care that I won''t get mugged or assaulted on my way home, and that my house won''t get broken in to.

That''s a *great* idea about the PD. I hope they will be willing to disclose their thoughts on the neighborhood!

NF - Going there at night is a great idea. If I get a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach I''ll know to stay away! As a matter of fact, I''ll go tonight! Thanks!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Talking to neighbors is a great way to gain insight into crime in the area. We've found out the majority of what's going on in each neighborhood we've lived in through chatting with people.

I tried looking up my neighborhood, but like your current neighborhood, it's not covered on the website, so I cannot accurately compare with what I've heard of locally. . .personally, IMO, the amount of crimes listed seems rather high and that would concern me. They're mostly theft and getting an alarm installed may give you peace of mind.

On a side note, the house appears to be located close to a freeway which I think could be problematic. It changes the dynamics of a neighborhood because of the additional noise and through traffic. We lived in a house near a freeway and while living there I ordered a copy of my credit report and at the top, it stated that the address was linked to mail theft.

 

[strmrdr]

that is a lot of B&E I would be a little concerned.

 

[Liane]

I''m not a home buyer, but I do work in law enforcement (in Philadelphia, not the West Coast) and that crime report looks like what I''d expect to see in a reasonably safe upper- to middle-class urban neighborhood. The incidents are fairly scattered (by urban standards) and there''s not a lot of violent crime or corner-style drug dealing. So overall I don''t see any major red flags. BUT it''s a pretty short time horizon and I agree, calling the local police department is a sensible step.

 

[pennquaker09]

Also, if you get a bad vibe, chances are it''s not the place for you. But honestly, it can be a gated neighborhood and not be safe.