It allows you to measure responsiveness and compare.  

Is it common practice in real estate just for simplicity sake/rule of thumb measurements, or is there something obvious to others that I am missing?

Louis, as that only measures public schools, and a lot of good people live in cheap areas of St.

If you have good credit the interest rates on these lines of credit are usually measured in prime - something.  

For example, Fannie Mae loans if an existing first mortgage is being paid off through the transaction, it must be at least 12 months old at the time of refinance, as measured by the note date of the existing loan to the note date of the new loan.  

I want my wealth to be measured in care and compassion, not by the digits in my bank account.

Odds are very good that a major expense or a bad tenant will eat your lunch and your wealth-building plans will go out the window.If you are a cardiologist making $200,000 a year with no debt, you can probably replace the roof of a house without batting an eye.If you are an investor with ten properties each cash-flowing $250 a month, you can probably afford to write a check for a new roof without digging into reserves.Everyone needs to measure their own portfolio and personal situation.

Prices appreciated so much they've implemented new cooling measures to bring things down, including the aforementioned stamp duty. 

Which method is used really matters. 1% of income and 1% of debt and equity are both 1% but they are miles apart when measured in dollars.The only way to know is to read the operating agreement.

It is a measure of responsibility.Individuals on welfare could have good credit but they choose not to as part of their overall irresponsible life style.How they got their score is important as well as the amount of available credit.