What do you consider a good neighborhood to be? The answer to that question may differ depending on your background, your street smarts and your economic status.

 According to MorganQuinto :

Kansas City, MO recently had the dubious distinction of being rated the 16th most violent city in the nation. A few miles east, Lee's Summit had the honor of making the list for being one of the safest. Why? Read this: Kansas City Crime.

I’ve lived in some rough and ready environments, fortunately I have learned some street smarts and I know what to avoid and how to act.

But the law says we cannot comment on the nature of a neighborhood or the content of that areas social or environmental makeup. What you consider to be a “safe neighborhood” may not be what someone else agrees with.

How do we answer this often posed question? When I was just learning the ropes of property management I often lived on-sight. I would just say well, I live here and I like it.

We instruct our office staff to tell prospective renters or buyers to drive through the specific areas you are considering living in and make that judgment call yourself. I have even suggested that they visit at different times of day to see what activities might occur there. Talk to the neighbors and see what they say.

In this age of information we live in now we have great tools at our disposal. Web sites like www.KCPD.org offer crime statistics and even maps of crime data. Sites like www.bestplaces.net offer comparative analysis of different communities and link to data from the Census Bureau , which offers a vast range of data on income, economic and social statistics.

Most police departments will provide a record of calls for service for a specific area if you ask. They usually charge a nominal fee for the printing but it can be invaluable in your research.

As real estate agents we are not allowed to express an opinion or direct anyone to a specific area or neighborhood. So if you want to know about the specific neighborhood you are looking at, you will have to do some research on your own. We hope these links help. We are sure there are many others you will find also.  

Make sure that the area you will call home fits YOUR criteria.

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