11. Crime Rates in The Neighborhood
You can always review the area crime stats on Neighborhood Scout before visiting a house in person. Check the local news and see if there have been any recent crime sprees that have not yet been reported to the online directories. It would help if you avoided houses with heavy crime records. When homes are left empty or put up for sale in horrible places, some people can break in to steal the copper pipes.
To make matters worse, purchasing a home in a high-crime area puts you at risk of becoming a thief's prey. If you want to give your house a glamorous makeover, it just draws attention to you and says, "We have money!" It also increases your chances of being a target. Still, check to see if your "fixer-upper" is in a safe area.
