Dear Mr. REALTOR,

Thanks for the information you sent me on the beautiful home in XYZ Subdivision. I love Jasper and the Pickens County, Georgia, area so much, and this home looks absolutely perfect!  It's where I want to spend the rest of my long life.  I just had one question though. . . Is it in a good neighborhood?

Sincerely,

Inita Ansa

DEAR MS. ANSA:

It's always been my pleasure in assisting to turn dreams into reality.  I have enjoyed working with you to help find the perfect home and am glad that we have finally found a house that meets your needs perfectly after all this time.

As for "Is it a good neighborhood"?

Um, well, I do have a fairly good working knowledge of most neighborhoods in my area, but I've, uh, never actually lived in this one myself . . . or most of them for that matter.  It seems like a great neighborhood to me.  I mean, I don't know every family and homeowner of course, or what they get up to when I'm not around, or what they plan to do in the future, naturally.  And there are some people that just moved in that I haven't met . . . and there are two families that are selling their homes -- I don't know who'll be moving in there, so there's really quite a lot I don't know . . .

And you know of course, under fair housing laws I can't really address race, religion, age, etc. (and those really aren't sensible ways to judge "good" vs "bad" anyway, so I hope that's not what you meant?).  Hmmm, so other than those things, let's see what I can tell you about whether the neighborhood is "good" or not.

I guess the best way to explain it is like this . . .

As a real estate consultant I can help you find a home.  I can guide you through some of the financing, help you with the paperwork and negotiations, assist in making sure that all inspections, due diligence and contingencies are followed up on.  I can serve as a facilitator ensuring that the transaction goes as smoothly as possible, from contract to closing, and act as a buffer (often mediator), between you and the listing agent and seller to keep emotions under control.  I cannot however, choose the city you want to live in.  I cannot choose your house.  And I cannot choose your neighborhood.

Good and bad are subjective.  They mean different things to different people.  As a REALTOR, my goal is to be objective.  I therefore cannot help you here.  There is no standardized testing of neighborhoods or people, or a point system, on which I can rely.  There are likely to be those who have gripes about any neighborhood, as much as there are those who have none.  How should I judge?  To whose opinion should I give more weight?

If I'm aware of anything that is a material fact (SWAT teams converging weekly on the neighborhood for drug sweeps; a spate of gang violence that has people hiding behind locked doors; a serial killer or rapist on the loose; a published report about volcanic activity beneath the surface, or a proposed nuclear plant on the other side of the fence, of the house you are about to buy), I will disclose this knowledge, as I am required to do by my conscience, ethics, and the law.

I am not however, going to report on those matters protected under Fair Housing (race, religion, et al). I am not going to repeat rumors, gossip, and innuendo, without factual basis to support them. I am not going to reflect on the lifestyle choices and behaviors of others, regardless of my (or your) personal opinion.  I am not going to use isolated or rare instances of a "problem" as cause to blacklist an entire neighborhood.  And, I am not going to make representations about things that are readily visible to an observer, such as the condition of roads and amenities, issues relating to maintenance of yards and homes, offensive smells, or the presence of high-tension powerlines overhead. 

If you have concerns, please feel free to walk the neighborhood, introduce yourself, talk to people, share their insights.  Just as a home inspector will inspect your home for real defects and a termite inspector will look for noticeable damage or infestation, it is up to you to conduct any neighborhood inspection you desire and determine any latent flaws (or to speculate on the people that live there).  This is something I cannot do for you. 

In short, I am going to leave it up to you to make your own determination, while offering any fact-based insight I might have.  Please keep this in mind that the next time you ask me if it's a "good" neighborhood.

I probably don't have the answer -- I don't think anybody does.  Thanks for your understanding and I look forward to continue helping you with those things I am best equipped to handle.

Best regards,

IMA REALTOR

PS. If you wish to learn more about the area you are moving to, there are a number of helpful resources on the web you can try:

Georgia Sex Offender Registry
City Comparisons
Georgia Crime Statistics by County
Local School Information