I worked in relocation for 7 years with a company that was in the top 3 largest relo companies. They represented several major oil companies, one that relocated hundreds of employees from Houston, TX. Those employees were told before they arrived that there was only one place that would be a "like-kind" neighborhood they were leaving. And in addition, for heaven's sake, DON'T buy a home in Aurora, CO. (https://www.auroragov.org) That was so frustrating as these were people giving opinions of which they had no knowledge or stats to back their opinions, and had never lived or even visited this area. They were trashing a City's reputation! It's just what they had heard and passed it on for years and years. And so the negative image accompanied the employee as they came to find a home. Well, here is something Ward V Councilman Bob Roth sent today...
The Truth About Crime
If you read this regularly, you know that I tend to be somewhat of a homer (I tend to brag about Aurora). Well, here goes again....
The FBI tracks and reports on major crimes in a format called "UCR" or Uniform Crime Reporting. The seven categories of Major Crimes tracked are as follows:
Murder, Sexual Assault, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny, & Motor Vehicle Theft
In the past I have mentioned that, despite what you might hear from the Denver media outlets, Aurora is the safest large city in Colorado, and one of the safest in the entire country. Well, for the latest reporting year, that is once again true.
There are 76 cities in America with a population over 250,000, Aurora being at approximately 345,000.
Once again, using the base line of FBI UCR, Aurora is the safest large city in Colorado...with Denver placing SEVEN spots behind Aurora, and Colorado Springs placing FIFTEEN spots behind Aurora.
So, please, the next time someone mentions to you the crime in Aurora, remember this information. And don't buy into the Denver media bias out there.
So, here's the dilemma: Do you show homes in Aurora (some are newer, safe, affordable, excellent value and one of the best school district in the state)? Or just abide by the buyer's wishes to NOT shop where they believe the problems exist? And (how) would you approach changing the buyer's perception?
