"What's The Neighborhood Like?"

When looking for a new home, we all want to know about the area where we might be moving, right? We want to know about the neighborhoods and if they meet our needs. We want to know about the crime statistics and about the schools.

"What's the neighborhood like?" is a question I am asked frequently as a real estate agent in Florence, Alabama - especially from out of town clients. As much as I would like to answer that question...guess what? I can't. I have no way of knowing why you are asking and federal law (The Fair Housing Act) prohibits me - and all Realtors - from discriminating in any way based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap.

There are a few things that you can do to find out about neighborhoods in Florence, Alabama and the Shoals area. Here are some suggestions:

> Go out for a drive! Take a look at the neighborhood during different times of day. Talk to the people that live in the neighborhood.


> You can find demographic information online at the United States Census site, or ZIPskinny which provides information by city or zip code.


> Sex offenders are listed by city and zip code at the Alabama Dept. of Public Safety website.


> For school information, search the Alabama Dept. of Education website or go to School Data Direct to search by school or district.


> The local police are there to help - contact them and ask about crime in a particular neighborhood. The Florence, AL Police Dept. Annual Report for 2007 charts the crime statistics for Florence.


> For more information about the Florence, AL area and other helpful links, go to my website.

So, I may not be able to answer the question, but now you have some resources that might help!

Deidre Berry
Email: deidre@HomesOfTheShoals.com
Web: http://HomesOfTheShoals.com

Search for Florence, AL homes for sale

The idea for this post came from Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate. Thank you!