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Americans are famous for higher degrees of spatial mobility, particularly while seeking for new jobs, owning a second/recreation home, etc. In this process, they pay attention not only to the property values and to their square footage, but also to other socio-economic and cultural attributes of these neighborhoods, data for which are sought from numerous internet-based resources that contain both factual and perception data. The housing selection process, thus, is not only limited to tangible characteristics of a dwelling, but also on other characteristics such as safety, amenities, transportation/public services, demographics, and expected appreciation of property (Brown and Chung 2008; Sharma 2016, 2018; Sultana 2002).
Real-estate values vary based on its broader location, internal physical features, home design, and external environmental and neighborhood characteristics. Among the most common physical attributes include the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, quality of construction materials, condition of the buildings, year of make, open yards/green spaces and view, availability of parking lots, utility services, outside views, transportation connectivity, etc. (Din et al. 2001). Environmental characteristics include the qualitative perceptions of an area such as its overall social reputation and relative location within a larger area. Other factors include proximity to highways, groceries/restaurants, shopping complexes, green spaces/parks/water bodies, educational/religious institutions, road/railroad/public transportation including airports (and noise), access to schools/ school quality, access to jobs-types, times of commute, etc. (Brandt et al. 2014; Brown and Chung 2008; Clark 2006; Cohen and Coughlin 2009; Cohen et al. 2015; Din et al. 2001; Sharma 2016, 2018; Sultana 2002; Vandegrift et al. 2012; Zhou et al. 2015).
Yet another important but non-quantifiable characteristic of an area includes its social reputation, which is constructed based on public opinions and perceptions of these neighborhoods from short and long-term lived-in experiences of residents/ visitors (Sampson 2012). Such reputations, sentiments and perceptions about specific neighborhoods can affect peoples’ decisions to (dis)/invest in specific properties (Lee et al. 1994). These reputations reinforce stereotypes about neighborhoods that further accentuate spatial inequalities among and within cities/communities, potentially affecting their long-term sustenance (Hartigan 2010).
Perceived disorganization of a neighborhood can also influence its image over time. People's perceptions of criminality and other elements of social disorganization have greater effects on their satisfaction levels than the actual state of things (Adams 1992). Nevertheless, the number of crimes and crime rates, or at least the perceptions of these comprise an integral part of a neighborhood’s description on various realtor websites that affect prospective buyers’ decision-making process. Other indicators generally listed on these websites include data on educational background/school districts, median household income, racial/ethnic and demographic composition. Residential property values, however, are affected by numerous deviant factors that may excessively create incoherent perceptions about specific neighborhoods, thenceforth negatively affecting its valuation. It is also important to remember that this process not only consider a ‘house’ as a physical and static object, but also about the ‘choice’ of a certain lifestyle.
Given a framework for situating this work, we use Maslow's hierarchy of needs wherein safety comprises an important element at the second step from the bottom whereas other basic physiological needs comprise the most important elements of human life (Maslow 1943). While we understand that having food, clothing and shelter are the most crucial elements for human survival, negative perceptions concerning criminality in neighborhoods can severely affect people’ affordability to own a home -- a necessity in the lowest tier of Maslow’s triangle. Thus, even though a prospective buyer would apparently fulfil his/her second tier of life’s satisfactions based on affordability, this whole process of home buying could reflect the complex dynamics concerning people versus place-based power relationships that may produce uneven spaces.