\nKyle<\/strong>: Sure, let me pull up my calendar … yeah, I can do that.
\nCaller<\/strong>: How am I going to get there from Simsbury? Am I going to go off of [such-and-such]<\/em> Street? Is it down by there?
\nKyle<\/strong>: Yes, as you come into Hartford…
\nCaller<\/strong>: Okay, let me just ask this, like, I’m totally being, like, serious. Is it a dangerous area?
\nKyle<\/strong>: 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…
\nCaller<\/strong>: Where abouts on [such-and-such]<\/em> Street is it? Is it down near the [restaurant]<\/em>?
\nKyle<\/strong>: Not really, it’s about a mile away from there in a neighborhood called [whatever]<\/em>…
\nCaller<\/strong>: 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.<\/p>\n
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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!<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
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.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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<\/p>\n