Editorial policy

Sources

Every page ends with a numbered list of its sources, each linked and dated; every date, number, rule and attribution in the text comes from one of them. Property taxes, exemptions, permits, zoning, flood zones and tenant law come only from government bodies: New York State agencies, Nassau County, the Towns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead, the incorporated villages and cities, and FEMA. Population, housing, home values and rents come from the U.S. Census Bureau, with the survey years named. School results come from the New York State Education Department or the district itself. Train schedules come from MTA timetables. History, geography, station and district background come from government records, reference works such as Wikipedia, and the local press, each named in the page's source list. Listing-site estimates, forums and anonymous blogs are never a source.

Checking

Before a page is published, every sentence that states a fact is read against the passage it comes from. If the source does not say it, the sentence goes. The date at the top of each page is the last time it was checked; each source in the list shows the day it was read.

What changes

Tax rates are set every year, school budgets every spring, train timetables several times a year. A rate, fee or schedule on these pages is what the source said on the date shown. Confirm current figures with the office named in the note before you sign anything.

Not advice

These pages explain how things work. They are not legal, tax, mortgage or investment advice. For a decision about a specific property, talk to a licensed attorney, accountant or broker of your choice.

Money

Some pages carry a "Plan it" box with next steps for movers, storage or inspections. Paid partner links, if any are added, are labelled "affiliate links" and tagged sponsored; they never decide what a page covers. See the affiliate disclosure.

Corrections

Errors are fixed and logged on the corrections page. Write through the contact page.