We've all heard the adage: "Location, location, location" used when talking about real estate. It couldn't be truer than when you're choosing a property to make your home.

Officer Bob van Wulven, of the San Diego Police Department says, "You can't judge a book by its cover," nor a neighborhood by its looks.

He's been on the police force for 29 years and he's seen plenty of neighborhoods some of which look perfectly safe and secure but still do have crime.

You may come into an area like Carmel Valley where all the lawns are neatly trimmed, the houses are immaculate, and there aren't a lot of junk cars or [trash evident]. It looks like an upscale, clean, tidy neighborhood, but there could be some underlying crime that you are unaware of," says Officer van Wulven.

Carmel Valley is a sub-community of San Diego and its crime rate is relatively low.

"Most of the crime in Carmel Valley, for instance, is mischievous type stuff. There may occasionally be a car prowler, burglary or some kind of thefts and stuff like that, but there is not a lot of violent crime in Carmel Valley," explains officer van Wulven.