Western Massachusetts price points pull in two groups at once. Local buyers are making practical decisions about neighborhoods, schools and condition, often within a tight budget. At the same time, out of area investors are running the numbers on rental yield and comparing Springfield with other secondary markets they have never visited.

Those audiences search in completely different ways. One is asking what a neighborhood is actually like to live in, the other is asking what a property will return. Pages that try to speak to both tend to convince neither, which is why we separate the intent before writing anything.