There are many reasons that prevent people from achieving goal #1 on the hierarchy of human needs, safe shelter. In addition to the challenges of finance, and finding the right home, determining the relative safety of a neighborhood is seriously important, yet not frequently enough addressed. 

How would you feel, after spending a lot of money to buy or rent a home, if you discovered that you had to look both right and left, and then listen for the sounds of danger before you stepped outside your door, at night, just to put out the trash? That question doesn’t frequently enter the minds of younger buyers, but to anyone with a family, or a greater sense of self-preservation, its position on their list of wants and needs holds a much greater importance. But this is a personal decision.

Real estate agents are prohibited from answering specific questions about the relative safety, or social makeup of any neighborhood. But it’s also one of the questions that get swept under the carpet in too many real estate transactions. Point of fact: it is up to the buyer or renter to determine what constitutes an acceptable level of safety. That information can be found in on-line police crime reports, and on a more personal level, and sometimes just as effective, from conversations with potential neighbors who know the local community. It is also recommended that you take a drive through the neighborhood during both the day and night time.

Personal safety, and the effectiveness of local police in the greater New Orleans area differs dramatically from parish to parish, town to town, and neighborhood to neighborhood. It affects the quality of life, one’s sense of well being, and the value of any property. Before you buy or rent, consider looking into the relative safety of any neighborhood in which you’d like to reside, and then make your decision.