In 2005, the search for the perfect neighborhood took a backseat to simply finding a home.  In terms of new developments and new builds, "waiting lists" and "lottery systems" were common phrases.  For resales, same-day offers (sometimes in the double digits) was common-place.  In many cases, homes were selling so rapidly there wasn't even time to list them online (or even a need to do so).

Given the recent rise in volume of homes, the search for the perfect neighborhood or community is not paramount, but a definite sought after luxury for today's buyer.

INFORMATION SOUGHT AFTER
-- Census Data (crime, demographics, schools, etc) - The typical information any buyer would want to know.
-- Maps - Overlay of Neighborhood Data with Maps - Both topographical, satelite, and traditional street name views are available.
-- Google Street View - Be a "fly on the wall" and get a first person view of the "street" and immediate neighborhood on which a target property resides.
-- Agents owning a neighborhood - showcase and sponsorship of neighborhoods and zip codes for increased impressions on consumer websites.

CONSUMER SITES
Each of the following sites allow for neighborhood search capabilities combined with advanced map and view technology.
--> eppraisal.com - Allows for both a map view with street, aerial, and hybrid views, as well as a 3-dimensional "bird's eye" views.  "City Snapshots" (also when searching by zip code) is a service that allows consumers to browse: recent sales, market insights, schools, lifestyles, employment and find a real estate professional.
--> Trulia.com - 2-D, 3-D maps and now street view is common-place; along with "Stats & Trends" for a target zip code or city (market trends, homes for sale, schools, community info, Trulia Voices "feed" w/ Q&A on target community, and text box to get advice or ask questions).
--> RealEstate.com - Provides Street View capabilities combined with aerial views.
--> Zillow.com - Provides aerial maps of the surrounding areas including 3-dimensional "bird's eye" views. Zindex, their home valuation index, is the median Zestimate valuation for a given geographic area on a given day.
--> CyberHomes.com - Offers all of the previous viewing options plus icons embedded in the view application for information including points of interest and various other noteworthy local information.

AGENTS' WEBSITES
--> NeighborhoodScout - Allows for searches for senior communities, best schools, luxury communities, etc.  Incorporates various views as well as a host of neighborhood statistical information such as housing value range, school quality, crime rates, and much more.

CONCLUSIONS
From the comfort of the consumer's home, Neighborhood search has expanded, serving equal importance (if not more), than the sea of listings on the market.  Given Neighborhood Data, Earth / Sattelite Images of Neighborhoods, and even street view to examine "upkeep" by residents in a neighborhood (or lack their of given Home Owners Associations commonly needing to step up...consumers are becoming more savvy in researching neighborhood data on their own time.

The National Institute of Webographers has awarded Location Inc. and its web-based neighborhood search engine, NeighborhoodScout™ , corporate sponsorship of the “Neighborhood Search” competency within the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification.

View Press Release.

During the Real Estate boom in 2005 through 2006, the search for the perfect Neighborhood was not nearly as important as simply finding a physical home for purchase. Lottery systems and long waiting lists found throughout the country, especially for newly built developments, were common-place. Since then, the market has drastically cooled off. Buyers can be selective about other aspects of their complete home experience, and one of those aspects is the neighborhood.

On April 8th, 2007, the real estate section of the Arizona Republic reports that Arizona has hit a record high of over 50,000 homes on the market. Tips to Buyers on the first-page of the section, told Buyers to be extremely selective when considering the neighborhood and / or community in which they purchase a new home.

Neighborhood Search, as represented by NeighborhoodScout, offers dynamic, all-inclusive neighborhood information in contrast to static (sometimes considered fluffy, or boring) neighborhood and community information. Dynamic searches include "Luxury Communities", "Families with Children", "Retirement Areas", and "First Time Home Buyers". 

Neighborhood Search speaks to today's web-savvy consumer who likes to browse for information on their own. When they've found neighborhoods of interest, lead-generation forms are displayed, providing an exclusive, personalized lead to the agent subscriber. A subscription allows this all inclusive, lead-generation tool to be added to an agent or broker's website. 

REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ Certification Activity
Candidates of the REW™ engage NeighborhoodScout within the sandbox of technologies showcased in training. Candidates have the option to work with their own demo NeighborhoodScout agent subscriber account and setup a unique URL that would be used by site-visitors.  Candidates engage this dynamic search engine, practice lead-generation from NeighborhoodScout contact forms and use their candidate webmail to engage exclusive leads sent personally to them.

Neighborhood Search, inclusive of an agent or broker's website keeps website visitors on the site longer, as represented by NeighborhoodScout™.  It assists to spark "conversations" with the curious buyer, who is impressed by the all-inclusive services provided by the agent/broker subscriber.