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States aren't really a meaningful unit here. On the other hand, the New York Times quiz can end up giving a list of random suburbs that don't have much of an i

States aren't really a meaningful unit here. On the other hand, the New York Times quiz can end up giving a list of random suburbs that don't have much of an identity fo their own. I think either counties or metro areas are the right level of granularity here. (You'd have to come up with some way to partition the non-metropolitan places.) (I live just outside Atlanta. That is more meaningful, for someone relocating here, than saying that I live in Georgia or that I live in the particular town I live in.) I do wonder if there's any real demand for customizable versions of this - allowing you to choose which variables matter to you - or if it's just something that people play with.

lotsofpulp 5y ago
States are especially meaningful here. I chose my state based on the pro worker laws it has (I benefited from being able to get more parental leave), less per taxpayer debt burden which result in lower taxes from things like underfunded pension debt which I do not benefit from, and pro women's right's laws (I have a wife and daughter who benefit from access to abortions and women's healthcare in general). There is also Medicaid to think about which is also on a state level.
- madcaptenor 5y ago
  OK, those are all good points. But I think it's misleading to present an analysis that groups everything by state. I think what I want is an analysis that brings in state-level variables like you mentioned but doesn't just spit out a score for each state.
  - ericmay 5y ago
    I had a startup idea around this. I'd like to make the home search much more personalized. I don't care about exact square footage, but I do care about parks, civic associations, etc. Why can't we find a way to get neighborhoods and housing areas to compete for residents and help people find the home that best suits them? Companies like Zillow are just 1990s Real Estate with a UI and better search. That's great, but if you don't know the area I'm not sure how you're really learning anything from Zillow.
    - lotsofpulp 5y ago
      I feel like I can get much of that information just by searching maps and inferring qualities of communities by the proximity and quality of amenities nearby. At least I thought it was pretty accurate during my home search.
      - ericmay 5y ago
        Yea but why do that search in the first place? What if you could just say "I want a brick house in a walkable neighborhood with coffee shops and parks nearby in the city of Des Moines at this price range"? Or just tick off some parameters? Personally I do the same as you do right now, and I keep thinking how is it that this is the best way to do this?

lotsofpulp 5y ago

States are especially meaningful here. I chose my state based on the pro worker laws it has (I benefited from being able to get more parental leave), less per taxpayer debt burden which result in lower taxes from things like underfunded pension debt which I do not benefit from, and pro women's right's laws (I have a wife and daughter who benefit from access to abortions and women's healthcare in general). There is also Medicaid to think about which is also on a state level.

madcaptenor 5y ago
OK, those are all good points. But I think it's misleading to present an analysis that groups everything by state. I think what I want is an analysis that brings in state-level variables like you mentioned but doesn't just spit out a score for each state.
- ericmay 5y ago
  I had a startup idea around this. I'd like to make the home search much more personalized. I don't care about exact square footage, but I do care about parks, civic associations, etc. Why can't we find a way to get neighborhoods and housing areas to compete for residents and help people find the home that best suits them? Companies like Zillow are just 1990s Real Estate with a UI and better search. That's great, but if you don't know the area I'm not sure how you're really learning anything from Zillow.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    I feel like I can get much of that information just by searching maps and inferring qualities of communities by the proximity and quality of amenities nearby. At least I thought it was pretty accurate during my home search.
    - ericmay 5y ago
      Yea but why do that search in the first place? What if you could just say "I want a brick house in a walkable neighborhood with coffee shops and parks nearby in the city of Des Moines at this price range"? Or just tick off some parameters? Personally I do the same as you do right now, and I keep thinking how is it that this is the best way to do this?