New Feature: Lifestyle Home Search (Best Schools, Low Crime, and More)

Lifestyle Home Search

A great new feature on SeattlePowerSearch.com is its collection of Lifestyle search options.  Try it here: SeattlePowerSearch.com Advanced Search.  The data is scrubbed down to the block/group level - much finer than the zip code level.

The Lifestyle options are:

• Highly Rated Schools - Select "Very Important" or "Extremely Important" to quickly find the communities on the map with the best schools.  This is often a big mystery for out-of-town buyers and difficult to grasp without local knowledge.  The data comes from the highly respected GreatSchools.org.
• Low Crime Ratings - Choose "Very Important" or "Extremely Important" to quickly identify low crime neighborhoods.
• Median Home Income - Here you can choose the median home income level of the neighborhood based on census data.  If you combine the best schools, low crime, and a high income neighborhood, you have likely identified a very fine community.
• Type of Neighborhood - I had a near-argument with a client once who wanted to live in a walkable, city neighborhood, while I tried to get her interested in a suburban neighborhood (quiet, space between neighbors, 2 car garages).  This is another great feature for out-of-town buyers.
• Cost of Living - Retirees may choose "Lower than Average" cost of living to search out low cost communities to live.
• Commute Time - This is based on census data, where residents are asked how long their commute is.  However, you don't know where they are going.  The developers plan to improve this feature, letting you pick a point where you need to commute to.

 

SeattlePowerSearch.com: LIFESTYLE HOME SEARCH