Launching PickYourPlace v1.0

Choosing a place to live is one of the most significant decisions you'll ever make. It's not just about the house itself—it's about the neighborhood, the community, and the lifestyle that comes with it. Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of PickYourPlace—a tool designed to empower you with the insights you need to make informed decisions and find the right home.

The backstory

The idea for PickYourPlace started back in 2018 when I was searching for a new home. Like many people, I turned to real estate websites, but I quickly realized something was missing. Most platforms focused solely on the interior of properties—details like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, or square footage. While important, these features didn’t give me a complete picture of what it would actually be like to live there.

I was more interested in the surroundings: the safety of the neighborhood, proximity to schools and healthcare, and access to public transit. Some platforms provided this kind of information, but they often presented it using hard-to-interpret indices or ratings.

After purchasing a home, I kept thinking about this idea for a few years. In 2021, when my daughter was born, I found myself with three months of parental leave—the perfect time to finally bring the idea to life.

Building the prototype

At the same time, I discovered an AWS-sponsored hackathon. For those who know me, hackathons have always been a way to quickly implement ideas (and yes, the cash prizes don’t hurt either!). So, I decided to use the hackathon as motivation to build the first version of PickYourPlace. Within a month, I had a working prototype.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. One person even commented, "In my view, your project is MVP of the year." Encouraged by the feedback, I realized this idea had the potential to really make a difference.

The journey to version 1.0

After that initial burst of excitement, life got busy, and I found myself procrastinating. But the idea kept resurfacing. Earlier this year, I decided it was time to move forward. I conducted user interviews, gathered feedback, and worked hard to build something useful.

I also upgraded the technology stack to ensure the platform could scale and easily extend to more cities and features. After months of work, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the version 1.0.

What makes PickYourPlace different?

PickYourPlace isn’t your typical real estate website filled with listings of homes for sale or rent—at least not yet 😄. Instead, it’s a tool designed to provide location-based metrics that help you make better decisions. Here’s how it works:

1. Assessed property values

We provide assessed property values from municipalities, offering a reliable proxy for comparing properties. You’ll also get:

• Growth rates: Track how property values have changed over time, with up to 20 years of history.
• Property details: See details like property type (detached, townhouse, etc.), age, lot size, and land use.
• Citywide perspective: Use our interactive map to explore neighborhoods and see where more affordable or expensive areas are located.

2. Safety

Safety is a top priority for everyone. With PickYourPlace, you can:

• Access crime data: View population-adjusted and aggregated crime statistics, including types of crime such as assault, robbery, and more.
• Assess flood risks: Understand the flood risk in your area of interest.
• Evaluate emergency services: See how close you are to hospitals, clinics, EMS stations, fire stations, and police services.

3. Accessibility

Understand how well-connected your potential new home is:

• Proximity to amenities: Discover nearby schools, shops, recreational facilities, restaurants, and cafes.
• Travel modes and times: Assess accessibility using different travel modes—walking, biking, driving, or public transit—and view travel times to nearby amenities.

Getting started

PickYourPlace is free to use, and getting started is easy:

• From the landing page: Enter an address in the search box or select a random address to explore. You’ll instantly get detailed property and neighborhood information.
• From the explore page: Use the search box or click on a property on the interactive map. You can view property value, safety, and accessibility in different tabs for a complete picture.

What’s next?

Currently, PickYourPlace is available for the City of Calgary, but this is just the beginning. I have plans to add more cities and introduce new features in the coming months. This is where I need your help—your feedback will help shape the future of the platform. Let me know what’s missing, what can be improved, and which cities I should add next.

A final word

The journey to building PickYourPlace has been one of procrastination, persistence, and a lot of late nights. But the mission has always been clear: to help you make better, more informed decisions when choosing where to live.

I’m excited about the future of PickYourPlace, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us. Thank you for being a part of it!