How much credence will you place on websites such as www.picketreport.com when they “define” your local community by color-coded boundaries?
From the chart, we see Sarasota conveniently color-coded for visitors who are considering relocating to Sarasota.
For a closer look, see the image below of PicketReport’s legend – while glancing to and from the chart:
Unfortunately, locals looking at PicketReport’s efforts see immediate discrepancies…stated mildly. Truth is, a househunter outside of Sarasota stumbling upon this convenient website might be so inclined to believe these color-coded explanations about where to look.
For instance, PicketReport believes my family lives in “Blue Sky Boomers” – an area apparently inhabited with “lower- and middle-class baby boomer-aged households living in small towns.”
Yet, one narrow pen stroke away is the purple “Booming with Confidence” area – described as “Prosperous, established couples in their peak earning years living in suburban homes.”
Heck, my wife and I always had thought we lived in “Booming with Confidence.” Only now, a website using data from (?) tells us from afar that we’re living among “Blue Sky Boomers,” something sounding much less appealing.
Question is, How much credence do/should you place on this kind of website? As more and more house hunters hit the Internet to research relocation and their new home, does www.picketreport.com offer a clear or confusing analysis?
Please tell me what you think of PicketReport as you review your own area through www.PicketReport.com – are you pleased with the color-coded assessment of YOUR area?
To me, sites such as PicketReport (et al) do their best to help people researching areas with which they’re unfamiliar. However, here’s another example of a website dangerously close to misleading a person who’s researching. Might be a great suggestion to combine Internet research (with) an informed local real estate agent. Find an agent who’s more concerned with helping you find the “perfect” home, eager to ask you WHY? questions:
1. Why do you want to move to Sarasota?
2. What is it about Sarasota that has you choosing Sarasota for your vacations for the last 8 years?
3. What type of property & location most interest you and why? I always ask this question of both husband and wife. Sometimes, I hear differing answers which means husband and wife need to be congruent about what’s important to them. It’s about prioritizing….
My Sarasota Real Estate blog is not just real estate – it’s the most comprehensive online source for Sarasota attractions including information about Sarasota, beaches, attractions, events & local issues. Whether you are looking for the latest sales, price trends, Sarasota foreclosures or homes for sale in Sarasota, I try to make it all available here. Browse Sarasota homes for sale; call me @ (941) 914-9980 if you or someone you know has a question or wants to buy or sell a house in the Sarasota area.
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