re: in 2023, what price level lets you know a 'hood is nice/safe?

Pre COVID you could get a well built older home that needed maintenance, etc. in a pretty decent in town neighborhood for that.

Not sure you can now. There may be a handful around like that, and that’s probably because they’re smallish and too expensive for most people to teardown.

IMO the sweet spot is and was the boring, old but well kept neighborhood, either in town or in a close in suburb. There is only one demo that buys these homes - the young professional family. It’s because those types are willing to pay a premium for community and relative safety over size and newness.

See some of the Dallas burbs vs somewhere like Lake Highlands. Other demos (near east families, primarily) have taken a hold in many of the major burbs because they’ll prioritize space and newer builds. Which is fine, they’re not going to cause you any problems, but they will remake the community that previously lived there because they’ll congregate and then behave in insular fashion.

Somewhere like LH is going to be fairly similar decade after decade. The cons are politics and price. You’re paying a premium for smaller homes, smaller lots, etc.