Safe Neighborhoods? How can you tell?

[MattyMattyChooChoo]

My parents bought a 1,700 sq ft brick home in Plano, Texas for $130,000. Plano is a very safe suburb of Dallas, 300,000 people, and an average of four murders per year and some of the best schools in the country.

Then my parents moved to Broadmoor, bought a 1800 sq ft home with siding for $175,000, the schools aren't nearly as good and the crime is far above the national average.

It's not competitive at all. Suburbs of Houston are the same way. More house, safer, better price.

Southern Hills drive on a Saturday to Line and I-20 took about half an hour. I have no idea how long it would take in traffic. Maybe I could take a different route?

We're looking at some houses near the corner of Line and College Street on College. We've driven through the neighborhood several times at different hours of the day/night. It seems to be safe, but I have no idea how to tell other than the outward appearance of homes and the kind of people hanging out in the street at night.