Here’s a quick primer on house hunting on line. Our clients get a customized search in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). That is the primary database, which shares property information with consumer sites, like Zillow. Our searches aim to be specific. The raw data is out there, so some of our clients enjoy seeing it all.
Housing is all about the schools. This created the situation that springtime house hunters face in most areas around Boston. A little perspective: In the book The Two Income Trap, one of the ongoing tropes is that the pressure to send one’s children to “good” schools underlies the competition for houses in well-regarded schools systems.
Public information: The Department of Education publishes district profiles. To open a report card, write the town or district into the box for “Search for your Report Card.” Then use the hyperlinks below that to see the information. Within this data, you will find information about not only test scores, but stats on the qualifications
More data is not better data. I advise my clients to look for indications of negotiation points, like comparable sales, the seller buying another property, and neighborhood issues that are chasing the seller from their property (this is common if a building project is nearby or the taxes just went up… that kind of thing.)