Whether you are planning to relocate or you are helping someone find a new place to live in, you may be looking at all possible means to find the best community. While friends' advice and word of mouth should not be taken for granted, it would also help if you use a different perspective.
With our high reliance to technology, it's pretty much a good idea to use it in our search. Doing online research is one convenient and reliable way to open a large gate of potential communities. Here are some tips, websites and apps that can help in community search:
City-data.com is already known for its information about cities, but the best use of sites like this is looking at its forum section. There you can see locals' advice and answers to questions, which may lead you one step closer to finding the place that suits you and your family
Streetadvisor.com is the next place you should visit online once your choices are already narrowed down. This website will give you an overview of the cities' different areas. This way, you can review the places as a whole instead of doing a review per business. Rankings from users' reviews will also give you a better idea of how great each city is.
Neighborhoodscout.com on the other hand will give you figures and statistics related to each community of your choice. It may require a premium subscription, but if you want to know the important figures like the crime rate etc, it may be worth it.
The use of mobile Apps that show ratings is also helpful. Yelp and Foursquare for instance, these apps will show you how locals rate the businesses in their area, giving you a better perspective as to how great and progressive the local businesses are.
