That’s Ghetto

Got a call the other day about a house in Hartford. Because it came through a real estate website as a “buyer lead,” the site made a recording for quality control purposes. So I’ve listened to it a couple times. The call went like this:

Caller: Hello, I’m calling about [a house in Hartford], is there any way we could see it tomorrow around 11:30? My sister is actually interested in it, but she lives in Washington DC and wanted me to check it out before she drives up here to look at it.
Kyle: Sure, let me pull up my calendar … yeah, I can do that.
Caller: How am I going to get there from Simsbury? Am I going to go off of [such-and-such] Street? Is it down by there?
Kyle: Yes, as you come into Hartford…
Caller: Okay, let me just ask this, like, I’m totally being, like, serious. Is it a dangerous area?
Kyle: Uh, I’m not legally allowed to answer that. What I usually do is recommend people drive around to see if they feel comfortable. But the state actually…
Caller: Where abouts on [such-and-such] Street is it? Is it down near the [restaurant]?
Kyle: Not really, it’s about a mile away from there in a neighborhood called [whatever]
Caller: Yeah, it’s ghetto. I don’t know why you guys aren’t allowed to say it, but that’s ghetto. No, I don’t want to see it, goodbye.

Don't be a sheep, do your own neighborhood research!Is the house in question actually in the ghetto? I can imagine some potential buyers answering “yes” and others answering “no.” Especially since I’ve met plenty of people over the years who strongly believe that all of Hartford is ghetto. All of it – every last block!

Because the caller was coming from Simsbury, while the potential buyer was from Washington DC, it’s even possible that those two people could evaluate the ghetto-ness of the location differently. And it’s likely that they have a different point of view from me, who lives and works in Hartford.

Really, this is a prefect illustration of why real estate agents aren’t allowed to share their opinions on neighborhoods. Issues of safety (among other things) are evaluated at a personal level. “Ghetto,” whatever the word actually means, is in the eye of the beholder.

Getting reliable information about a new area is definitely a challenge. When out-of-towners get a job in the Hartford area they frequently ask around for advice on where to live. Future co-workers are more than happy to report that the town they live in is the best in the area.

And despite the potential for hometown bias, buyers should ask for advice from friends, family, and even co-workers. But they should also drive around and explore the area to find out if personal perceptions and goals match up with what other people are saying.

Friends and family who know you well may have a good sense of what could be a good fit, but that random future co-worker probably won’t even remember your name in 15 minutes. How relevant is their opinion about what is right for you?

At the end of the day it’s your purchase and it’s where you’re going to live, so you need to do your own research. Get out there and drive the neighborhoods at all different times of day. Personal experience is the only way to know just how ghetto (or not!) an area is to you.

7 thoughts on “That’s Ghetto

  1. What’s important is that you’re happy and comfortable with your ghetto neighborhood. I seem to recall you diligently exploring all different types of areas before settling on a home…

  2. I take comfort in knowing that people as closedminded as this will NEVER just roll up to my house. . .in the ghetto.

    When looking, I actually did not inquire from coworkers, family, or friends — except from one who already lived around the corner from where I was looking — because I know that my sense of safety and comfort varies wildly from theirs. And since I would be the one making the payments every month, their input would just be noise.

  3. See, now I’m reading this over and over wondering where this house is located. Maddening.

    I live in an area which was recently described by a Hartford blogger as “the hood.” It is actually a quiet neighborhood of friendly, respectful neighbors. The exact location the blogger was writing about is right in front of a house where kids live who love to pet my dogs, and across from a string of beautifully maintained, owner-occupied homes. I walk by this specific location twice (or more) a day. It amazes me that this blogger (who actually also lives in my neighborhood) could draw such a radically different impression of this corner.

  4. One of the things that bothered me most was that the caller didn’t know where in the City the house was. They had not mapped the address before calling, and I got cut off before describing the location with any precision. So I wonder … is there anywhere in the City that would have been acceptable? And if not, why even call about the house?

  5. Rather than be too righteous, let’s define what ghetto used to mean, in the 14th century.

    “Formerly, a street or quarter of a city set apart as a legally enforced residential area for Jews throughout Europe in the 14th–15th centuries. Ghettos were customarily enclosed with walls and gates and kept locked at night and during Christian festivals. Since outward expansion was usually impossible, most ghettos grew upward; congestion, fire hazards, and unsanitary conditions often resulted.”

    Does than mean a non-affinity toward Jewish neighborhoods? or tall buildings in residential areas that violate fire codes? Perhaps the caller did not perform due diligence in reconnoitering a place of habitation.

    We will never know if the caller has contributed to the gene pool. Let’s hope not.

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