Neighborhood Value Trending Analysis - How

[Kathryn Mills]

Hi! Basic questions, I am sure there is actually a resource for them on the BP, I just haven't found it yet.

When analyzing a neighborhood's value.... 

1. What are the best trend indicators to follow? Crime, School Rating, recent sales comps, ... anything else?

2. Also, what resource should I be using to forecast future growth/value of a neighborhood?  I see on Zillow they have "neighborhood evals", but how are they determining increases and declines in growth rate? Id rather use more resources that just Zillow to determine popularity. I hear investing in Parker is great, but as a newbie/soon-to-be investor, why would I know its great?

Thank you!