Real Estate Investor · Desoto, TX · Member since 2013 · 560 posts · 528 votes
10y
Without even going into the real differentiating details like median income, school ratings, and other demographic data, etc. I will keep it simple like @Account Closed from a visual perspective. His comment is funny but so true.
A = Well manicured lawns and trees, well taken care home exterior, high end cars in the driveway (and they actually park in the drive way, not the street)
B = Take A and replace the high end cars with nice but affordable cars (some park on the street). You will have nice houses that are well taken care of. You are also going to have a small handful of crappy lawns and the one crazy house that seems to hoard a bunch of junk (in your mind you will wonder if the owner has a basement full of kidnapped people)
C = Take A and B and replace high end cars. You are going to see a lot more shiny rims on older cars and/or muddy pick up trucks, lol. In the yard and on the street. You are going to wonder how many people live in that spot. You will have more than a fair share of crappy yards and homes that have physical distress. You will also find homes with pride of ownership. That is because you will have a healthy mix of renters and homeowners. There is a higher probability that one neighbor has done time in the county jail for some reason or another, lol.
D = Cars on blocks, in the driveway and on the street. People sit in the garage in the front of the house watching the day go by. You wonder, do they work. And yes, you have your fair share of pit bulls. You will wonder why are the blinds torn up in just about every house window. You will see your share of bed sheets as curtains (you know they are bed sheets and not curtains, lol). Neighbors trade county jail stories while they sit in the garage during the middle of the day drinking a cold one.
Obviously, I am attempting to interject some humor here but you get the point. Just by the visual test, the difference between A and D will jump out at you. This will differ by areas and your perspective based on where you come from. A person growing up rich might consider B the hood. A person who grew up in the hood might consider B and A.
Real Estate Broker · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
@Oscar Turner While the previous posters are pretty spot on in their assessments, I'll add that A areas typically have the best schools. B areas have good schools, and C areas are areas where no one really cares about school ratings. D areas are the places I don't feel safe showing homes.
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
A - I can pick up the rent at night, on a Friday, by myself.
D - I can pick up the rent during the day, late mornings are best because that is about when everyone is waking up, but never after 5PM on a Friday. I'm also probably carrying.
My buddy calls these "bacon and eggs" neighborhoods. That's because when you drive through around 10-11am on any weekday, you can smell bacon and eggs being cooked by all the locals just climbing out of bed.