In 2018, Irvine city leaders proudly announced the release of FBI statistical reports on crime in the region: since 2004, Irvine residents have enjoyed living in America’s safest city. It should be noted that the annual Uniform Crime Report published by the FBI focuses on serious incidents such as homicide, aggravated assault, arson, auto theft, sexual battery, and strong-arm robbery. What this means for Irvine residents is that the per capita rate of violent crime is the lowest in the country. The FBI report is just one of many tools prospective homebuyers can use to determine the safety of the neighborhoods they’re thinking about moving to. To make sure the home for sale in Irvine you’re interested in is located in a safe community, make sure to consider the following.
Check Local News Reports
Running an Internet query on major online news aggregation sites can give you an idea of recent crimes. For example, a Google News search for Irvine crimes in February 2019 reveals that a man who checked into the Irvine Medical Center emergency room was arrested on suspicion of a triple homicide in nearby Newport Beach. Another news report from late January indicated that federal prosecutors charged some Irvine residents with renting apartments for female visitors from China who were in the area for “birth tourism” purposes.
Ask Real Estate Agents
If you have a listing already in mind, there’s a strong chance your real estate agent will tell you the neighborhood is safe, but if you’re looking at various properties in different districts, you can ask for opinions as to how the neighborhoods compare in terms of safety. A good strategy in this regard is to listen for qualified answers. An example would be an agent who explains the neighborhoods around UC Irvine are safer because of a higher police presence.
Visit Crime Mapping Websites
CrimeReports.com is an excellent crime mapping resource all prospective buyers should use during house hunting. After you enter a street address, CrimeReports.com displays a map with icons that correspond to recent reports filed by local law enforcement agencies. It’s up to you to apply critical thinking when evaluating these reports. Let’s say you see a cluster of icons surrounding UC Irvine. Once you click on them to review the information, you’ll likely see that most are noise disturbances reported over the weekend, which isn’t unusual for a large college campus.
Evaluate the Neighborhood
Since Irvine is America’s safest city, you shouldn’t be afraid to visit neighborhoods at different times during the day and the night. The idea is to look for signs of neglect, disrepair, and blight. You can always expect one or two shabby homes, but multiple abandoned properties with broken windows on a single block would be a warning sign. If you run into residents during the daytime, you can always get their opinion about overall safety.
Using the tools listed above, you can get a good idea of how safe neighborhoods are before you buy your new home. Another great resource is a real estate agent in Irvine who knows all about the safest neighborhoods in the area. The experienced professionals at Irvine Residential Living can fill you in on details about safety and a variety of other important factors when you’re looking for your new home. Call us today at 714-454-6304 to speak with one of our friendly agents.
