picking a home ... help!

HisChamaoleGirl

DH and I are pcsing to different duty stations. They are close enough where we can still live together and I am currently looking for a home somewhere in the middle. My main concern is even though I am finding many options to choose from I still have no idea if the neighborhood is a "good" or "bad" one in relation to crime levels. I just keep hearing about the area being sketchy depending on where you go and am worried. I have no intention of choosing a house before seeing it in person, but I am wondering how I can do research from a distance? Any recomendations ?

HisChamaoleGirl

Oops! I thought I might add I am going to VA and my husband to DC.

iluvmytxrgr

I'm not sure about there, but our county police department has a website where you can see the crime rates in each precinct.  I would check the area and see if the police department there has similar information. 

Other than that, I would call the local property management companies.  Tell them what you are looking for and that you are looking for safer areas. 

Lissa832

Call a realtor. They've always been very helpful to us in the past. DH is stationed at Quantico, which is south of DC. I told the realtor our price range and that we wanted to live in a family friendly, safe neighborhood. He basically made two piles, safe vs, sketchy. He said he'd take us to any place we wanted to see, but that was his opinion. Being that some of the commissions were higher in the sketchy places, I trusted his opinion. We live in a beautiful townhouse in a great neighborhood.

LeahCK

I can vouch for the whole sketchy vs. nice neighborhoods in VA. You can always call the local PD and ask them where you can look up the crime rates in specific zip codes.. It's hard from a distance.. It was hard for us.. we're in a neighborhood that borders nice and a block away from sketchy. Thank goodness it's only a rental. I personally interview the realtors too as I've had good and bad. 

What I have learned to do the next time is go stay for a week or so and drive around during the day and night and see how the streets change. There is a gas station 2 blocks away that at night turns into a place I don't prefer to go to. I didn't take any time off to come down and drive around and DH worked all day too.

Just a thought.. you could probably google crime rates in towns in VA to start to narrow down your search.

Good luck 

smwiggle

Check out Military Word of Mouth on Facebook.  It is all about reviews of new duty stations and housing and neighborhoods.  

ufsandra85

call the police station and ask for crime reports

GreenFlamingo7

Would you like to PM me? We are stationed in VA now and my husband is from this area. Actually... I'll PM you my email address.