What are signs that an area is declining?

Signs that an area is declining include rising crime rates, increased property vacancies, neglected maintenance (broken windows, overgrown yards), and businesses closing down. Other indicators include high rental turnover, declining school quality, reduced public transit, and increasing local taxes without improvements. A "downhill" area often shows a visible lack of community pride or economic investment. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

Often School rankings can be a lead indicator of an area. Often an area with better schools hold their values at a higher rate. There are also signs in older neighborhoods if you see homes being renovated and resold for higher values, this is a good sign of re-gingerfication. I would rely on a trusted LOCAL REALTOR to give you some comparables to see if the inventory is rising, days on market are growing and how homes are holding their value. Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball, but these are all helpful indicators!