Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2020 · 39 posts · 18 votes
I'm a new investor looking for buy and hold properties in Kalamazoo, MI, and discovered what seems to be a decent opportunity. However, in my research of the neighborhood the property is in, I found Trulia's "What locals say about (neighborhood)" in which features such as "Kids play outside" and "People would walk alone at night" get a percentage ranking I assume from crowdsourced voting.
My question is: how much stock should I put into these ratings? In your experience, are these percentages accurate and true to local perceptions about specific neighborhoods?
I know finding the right neighborhoods to invest in is important so I'd love to hear thoughts/strategies on other ways to analyze a local neighborhood's level of safety, comfort, community, transportation, etc.
@Isa Gaillard I would call the local police department and ask them about the neighborhood. Sometimes it can be street to street where things change. Good luck!
@Isa G. congrats on making steps forward in your REI career. I see you're an out of state investor. I find the Trulia crime index tool to be of value when initially vetting an area but I think most can agree boots on the ground are best. There are a lot of people actively investing in west Michigan on this forum, myself included, whom I'm sure would be happy to give you some feedback on the location. Kalamazoo is a great market but depending on your investment strategy, there are pockets you may want to avoid. If you're willing to share the neighborhood or cross roads, I'm happy to contribute my two cents.
@Isa Gaillard I would call the local police department and ask them about the neighborhood. Sometimes it can be street to street where things change. Good luck!