FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about how the reports work, what we cover, and how we handle your data.
- Is About The Lot free?
- Yes. There is no paywall, no account required, and no limit on how many addresses you can check. Reports are generated live every time.
- How accurate is the data?
- Every check uses authoritative public datasets — federal agencies, state programs, and well-established research consortiums. We use the most recent release available. Some signals are address-precise (elevation, flood zone, solar potential), some are ZIP-level (water systems, hardiness zone), and some are county- or state-level (radon, climate, taxes). Each card explains what scale it represents, and we show 'unavailable' when the data source has a gap rather than guessing.
- Is my address stored?
- No. We don't have user accounts and we don't keep search history. Reports are generated live from public data on each request and discarded.
- Why don't you show crime statistics?
- Crime data presented at neighborhood level can be a proxy for protected demographic characteristics under the Fair Housing Act, and the underlying datasets (FBI UCR, NIBRS) are agency-level — a wealthy suburb embedded in a poor city inherits the city's crime rate. Major real-estate sites have removed crime layers for these reasons. We agree with that decision.
- Why don't you show political data?
- Voter-registration and election-results data is publicly available, but presenting it next to a house you might buy turns the product into something divisive. We focus on risks and quality-of-life factors that any buyer cares about regardless of politics.
- Can I save or share a report?
- Yes. Every report has a unique URL — copy it from the address bar or use the Share button. We're working on a 'save' feature that will let you keep a list of addresses you've researched. (Note: each report URL is excluded from search-engine indexing, so it won't appear in Google results — sharing is fine, but the link is meant for direct use.)
- Why does my address show 'unavailable' for some checks?
- A few reasons: (1) the underlying public dataset doesn't cover that location (e.g., territories, rural areas with sparse coverage); (2) the third-party service was temporarily down at the moment we generated your report; (3) the address couldn't be matched to a specific census tract or ZIP. We always prefer to show 'unavailable' rather than guess.
- How is this different from RiskFactor.com or ClimateCheck?
- Those tools are excellent at climate risk specifically — flood, fire, heat. About The Lot is broader: alongside those climate signals, we cover environmental health (radon, hazardous sites, water quality, air), money (taxes, loan eligibility), neighborhood context (Census ACS demographics, commute, schools), and practical proximity (hospitals, airports, EV charging). One report, 30+ checks.
- How often is the data updated?
- It depends on the underlying source. Air quality is real-time. Drought is updated weekly. Hurricane and disaster declarations update as they're filed. Census ACS refreshes annually. Some datasets (radon zones, hardiness zones) update only when their authoritative sources do — every few years.
- Can I rely on this for an actual purchase decision?
- Treat it as a starting point, not a final word. Reports are informational and never a substitute for a professional inspection, environmental assessment, or insurance underwriting. We surface what's worth investigating; you (and your inspectors, agents, and lenders) make the call.
- How do you make money?
- Today: we don't. The site is funded out of pocket and accepts voluntary tips at /support. Long term, we plan to charge real-estate professionals (brokerages, MLS integrations, white-label embeds) for paid tools on a separate surface — the consumer report stays free. What we will never do: sell ads, sell your search data, run retargeting pixels, or treat free users as the product. If you'd rather not see that change, throw a few bucks in the tip jar so we don't have to.
- I found something wrong. How do I report it?
- Email us — see the contact page. Include the address you searched and which card looked wrong, and we'll investigate.
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