Hi Everyone,
I know there are some tools Jay and Alex on the forum might use that those outside the industry cant lay their hands on in regards to crime rate statistics for cities / area's in the USA.However there are other tools and web sites out there, yet not all are useful or have current data.
I'm aiming to get a list of the best sites / publications for everyone to try out.
What do you use ? – post below.
Metro police sites… In fact the local county will have it. In Vegas the metro site is the only one to use but obviously even if it is outdated, spotcrime.com and Trulia etc will still give you a great “feel” for a place.
Emma
Frankly I do not need a web site to tell me about crime,,, I can feel it… and basically crime in the US follows values in the large cities… lowest values highest crime… In small rural towns not the case.
But in all the citys that OZ investors would be looking at its real simple…. cheapest property highest crime rate…
No need for any further in depth anaylsis from my point of view.
I have now started to buy in what I call satillite cities that are by large metro areas but 30 to 60 mintue drives away..these have lower price points,,, no crime to speak of and are cash flow cows… No real capital growth but cash flow positive with minimal mnagement issues….Vs a Vi inner city thugs beating the crap out of your homes.
JLH
Google drive.
Jay, I think this was for those NOT with the ability to zap themselves over here – and it is good to note that EVERY subdivision can be different but ts funny – I nearly said the same – "gut"…. I have been very very comfortable in my lovely non HOA townhome that I have been using as a central hub in ATL – mostly due to the atrocious internet at my actual house over here – desperate measures…… Non HOA 20k-er…. and I bought this (and now a few others in the enclave) because it is safe, good vibe etc. I have my chief local lawn mower here just for my properties….. (Marcus, $5.00 per lawn – I am now admitting that I am breaking child labour laws as he is 10… doesn't do the world's best job but can't beat the rate…..)
I don't buy inside the "beltway" in Atlanta for instance.
What I tell my guys is this – if you can't be here, someone needs to give it the vibe….I call it the "Emma Safety Test"… but a lot of what you can learn is from just google driving…… how do the cars look on the street? Is there graffiti? Is the street well kept? Are the houses well maintained? Are there a million bars on the windows (in any city that isn't primarily hispanic, it is NOT a fashion statement". Drive the block – in one direction might be FABULOUS and in the other ATROCIOUS.
Again though – I ALWAYS look to see who OWNS the street and do they LIVE there – if I see the whole street is owned by people wwho live there and have lived there for the last 10 years or more, it is a GOOD sign (PRE crash = not likely to be in foreclosure)….
Geojet tells you these things….so I would add that website – ask your agent to send you the Geojet report.
@pat007 – You can get an idea off http://city-data.com http://www.city-data.com/forum/ and if you post you are looking to move or looking for a place in the area, they will be able to give you an idea… Remember though, they are peoples opinions but it will give you a good idea
@jayhinrichs The thoughts of a narrow-minded investor – people still have to live in the “ruff” areas, IE, if you were investing in Brisbane and you bought a couple cheap houses in Woodridge & Inala “ruff” people still live there, and pay rent and has the population to support a rental house, if you buy in the “satillite cities” and rentals get cheaper in the major cities then they will flock closer to work… you potentially lose more rental potential as say in the big cities. You can also buy cash flow positive properties and STILL get the capital growth in the future!
@emma171 – Hahaha google drive, love this, I do it sometimes as well, but remember google maps are not very up to date either!
Good point on city data…
Jay tut tut… Narrow minded investor…how many mobile home parks do you have?
Emma,
We have 2 currently and sold one about 3 years ago.. The one I sold was a 44 unit.. that I picked up for 1.2 the average rent per space was 250… over the course of 3 years I raised that to market of 420. and sold for 1.765,000… Minus fee’s 500k gain. that was the good ole days for sure…
Mobile home parks on the west coast by and large are one of the most valuable assets one can have bar none.
And that is why a class A and B park will sell at 4 to 6 cap rates…
Danger in buying a park is getting sucked into buying one that is half vacant,,, the absorption rate can kill an investor, or buy low end mid west deep south and they are just the worse of the worse vis a vi trailer trash,,,, Hence the world famous phrase…”trailer Trash” But like all things low end in the mid west and deep south… one can be a slumlord and do fine with them.. Just need to be there to ride herd on them daily no possible way it works with vendor PM..One would get killed financially speaking.
Remind me when we finally meet drinks can be on you… Well done.
Must connect your dots to my FL swamp infested trailer park friend… She may be reading…
Ride’em hard… I don’t think I could really make that a good tag line… But it isn’t a bad motto for PM’s. : )
TOTALLY off track but seriously I HATE US BANKING I HATE IT… I am waiting in a line aka queue that is out the wazoo to deposit a rent check aka cheque aka SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN’T EXIST !!!? It is laughable..
I stopped counting after 4 straight hours dedicated to checks/cheques this week….. BSB… Please…….BSB……
Yes to all those, I understand why but it doesn’t alleviate the frustration. EVERY person here wouldn’t be here is we did this all online. Paying yourself, paying trades…
I CAN’T EVEN TRANSFER BETWEEN MY PERSONAL AND BUSINESS ACVOUNTS HELD IN THE SAME BANK.
Enough. I am making a stand. A long one …buntil the teller is here.
I think it is like universal health care.., impossible to explain inside this country how simple it really is….
Emma,
why are you in a bank waiting to deposit a check..
Just order a Micker reader for your office… checques post instantly when you slide them through.
I have not gone to a bank other than when I want to in years…
And you definalty should be with a small commercial bank..
My personal banker calls me or I call her.. Most of all my transfers are done with her verbally.
Your in big banking hell…
I have a USAA account where i can deposit checks at the UPS store with my debit card, no limit on size of yet. I just deposited one for 25,000 from a sale the other day. Posted to my account as soon as it was done. You have to shop for a better community bank that will value you as a customer.
I agree with Jay, that sounds like banking hell
Check out titles "USA Property Investing" ( 2 vids same title) at my channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/theblockblog?feature=mhee and there is a great little resource there for crimes in your street, let alone the suburb. Fun to use as well.
Ian
http://theblockblog.com.au
Free Property Investment Info, Tools & Resources for Investors With A Sense of Tumour.Hahahahaha you think these are for me?????? Ooooooooh silly people… No I use QB online for me…. This is just me being the most amazing charitable person on the planet….
No these are funds for the brokerage, for tenants for contractors and as laterally as I think there is no simple solution…..
Paying me is the simplest deal on the planet…… QB Online saved my sanity on that level a million years ago. Apologies for the deposit confusion. Send an invoice and it is paid immediately online with QB… Merchant services so my clients can pay me by CCD from ozetc etc….
But sending coop fees to agents that aren’t online??? Contractors who aren’t on line?? It isn’t me…… It is everyone else!
I don’t do checks in my business at all…… My tenants (I still self manage all my personal properties) online…… Everyone else……… PLEASE GET ONLINE!!!! How can a real estate agent not be able to invoice me for the simplest blasted thing as a coop fee!!!!
I am licensed in 2 States and have yet to find AN agency dialled in…..
EARNEST MONEY DEPOSITS ???? I DRIVE CASHIERS CHEQUES HITHER AND YON…. How much of a waste of time is that…. ! Mind you that is my paranoia to check each clients stuff is done right but still…. Hand holding and sanity?
Pat007 wrote:Hi Everyone,
I know there are some tools Jay and Alex on the forum might use that those outside the industry cant lay their hands on in regards to crime rate statistics for cities / area's in the USA.However there are other tools and web sites out there, yet not all are useful or have current data.
I'm aiming to get a list of the best sites / publications for everyone to try out.
What do you use ? – post below.
good site we use and free
Nathan86 wrote:@pat007 – You can get an idea off http://city-data.com http://www.city-data.com/forum/ and if you post you are looking to move or looking for a place in the area, they will be able to give you an idea… Remember though, they are peoples opinions but it will give you a good idea@jayhinrichs The thoughts of a narrow-minded investor – people still have to live in the “ruff” areas, IE, if you were investing in Brisbane and you bought a couple cheap houses in Woodridge & Inala “ruff” people still live there, and pay rent and has the population to support a rental house, if you buy in the “satillite cities” and rentals get cheaper in the major cities then they will flock closer to work… you potentially lose more rental potential as say in the big cities. You can also buy cash flow positive properties and STILL get the capital growth in the future!
@emma171 – Hahaha google drive, love this, I do it sometimes as well, but remember google maps are not very up to date either!
In Australia gentrification tends to happen on a broader more all-encompassing scale and areas close to each other eventually homogenize. The confusing thing for the Aussie investor is how one street can be great, but the next street in the same zip code can be completely ghetto. The data tools are a great starting point but can’t usually make that distinction either, only someone who personally knows the area well. I agree with the earlier stated notion that price is a pretty good indicator.
Also how ‘ruff’ it really gets isn’t necessarily understood by the Aussie – except for some indigenous communities we don’t have those types of conditions in Australia. So rather than thinking Woodridge or Inala, think Cherbourg. Then add firearms to the equation.
TZ
For certain the average OZ investor has no clue how dangerous our Ghettos are…
And not sure how it is in OZ IE are hand guns legal or not… But you just never know when some gang banger is packing a 9mm and is going to pop a cap into you…which usually leads to death.
The number one cause of death to the African american age 15 to 25 IS MURDER by GUN… This over sickness car wrecks etc.
JLH
jayhinrichs wrote:TZFor certain the average OZ investor has no clue how dangerous our Ghettos are…
And not sure how it is in OZ IE are hand guns legal or not… But you just never know when some gang banger is packing a 9mm and is going to pop a cap into you…which usually leads to death.
The number one cause of death to the African american age 15 to 25 IS MURDER by GUN… This over sickness car wrecks etc.
JLH
Jay I think that most international investors don't realize how different the USA is from State to state. Then regions like the North and South for instance .Now on the other hand there is little Mexico in Charlotte and I stay 100 % away from their. Not want to get shot by some punk kid. Then there are a few areas that I call little LA with little thugs looking for problems. This is why it is very important to understand where you are buying and the caliber of people that you will be renting to here in the USA.
My tenant…. One of my best tenants father passed on this weekend. She and her husband are two of the loveliest people and their kids go to private schools here in Atlanta…… I expressed my deepest sympathies having not that long ago gone through that agony.
I didn’t dare ask but she almost nonchalantly said he was shot by his cousin at a 60th birthday party…..
But of course. I have to say I havent once in Vegas come across a gun incident but Atlanta….?
emma171 wrote:My tenant…. One of my best tenants father passed on this weekend. She and her husband are two of the loveliest people and their kids go to private schools here in Atlanta…… I expressed my deepest sympathies having not that long ago gone through that agony. I didn't dare ask but she almost nonchalantly said he was shot by his cousin at a 60th birthday party….. But of course. I have to say I havent once in Vegas come across a gun incident but Atlanta….?Welcome to the South, "Emma" being raised in NY ( Ronkonkoma, Long Island ) very few guns. Here in the south quite a bit of guns.
I been in a few situations where I thought that I needed to get my lic to carry a weapon my self. I am sorry to hear about your tenant father.Alex
Alex,,, you are a lethal weapon
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