Should I research the neighborhood first and then look at the houses or vice versa?

[Shi-Feng Lin]

Hello BP. Rookie investor here. Am looking for my first 2-4 fam investment property. I've decided to narrow down my search within the Hudson county in NJ. My real estate agent started sending me listing. There are listing that I like. The next thing I started looking up was the crime rate in that specific neighborhood and it didn't seem safe based on the crime rate. That was sort of a turn off for me. It got me wondering a couple things: 

1. Should I research the neighborhood that I want to invest in first and then look at the houses within that neighborhood or should I analyze the houses first & then research the neighborhood?

2. Should I rely heavily on the crime rate that I found online or should I do a drive through and see it for myself so I can make a better decision on whether I want to invest in this neighborhood?   

[John Clark]

Quote from @Shi-Feng Lin:

Hello BP. Rookie investor here. Am looking for my first 2-4 fam investment property. I've decided to narrow down my search within the Hudson county in NJ. My real estate agent started sending me listing. There are listing that I like. The next thing I started looking up was the crime rate in that specific neighborhood and it didn't seem safe based on the crime rate. That was sort of a turn off for me. It got me wondering a couple things: 

1. Should I research the neighborhood that I want to invest in first and then look at the houses within that neighborhood or should I analyze the houses first & then research the neighborhood?

2. Should I rely heavily on the crime rate that I found online or should I do a drive through and see it for myself so I can make a better decision on whether I want to invest in this neighborhood?   

Neighborhood first. Your initial criteria is the best school districts you can find.