Future Residents Take A Trip on the Internet to Learn More About the Triangle

When Trena Braun and her family moved from Lakeland, Fla. to Cary this year, she did not know a soul. But, the Internet quickly told her everything she needed to know about the Triangle but could not ask.

In addition to detailed property listings and even virtual tours of homes for sale, mostreal estate Web sitesare packed with clickable information about neighborhoods.

The information includes how schools rank, the crime rate compared to other parts of the country, cost of living rankings, even the number of households with children.

"I loved it, because I could really look at it, and I could plan ahead and know where I was going," Braun says.

Realtors like Debra Schmitt love having informed clients.

"Everything is there, so the people are just way ahead of us. We don't have to teach so much anymore, just sell a house," Schmitt says.

"Last year, 40 percent of our business came from the Internet, which I think is outstanding," she says.

Braun says in Cary she found a dream town for her husband and two sons, with the schools and the security she sought -- and she found it online.

To learn more about how safe your neighborhood is, you can head toAPBnews.comand enter your zip code. Reporter: Cullen Browder