Have you ever purchased something online? (silly question) Have you ever purchased something online and were influenced one way or another by hundreds of user reviews about that product? Be it a trip to a local restaurant, a home appliance or piece of clothing, we're now turning to the Internet and confiding in our peers about the financial decisions we're making. Not only do we value others' experiences, but we also trust their opinions.

Wouldn't it be great to have that same option when it came to relocating to a new area? Or if you have a sense of local pride that you'd think would benefit your community at large?

Introducing Community Conversations powered by StreetAdvisor, a review platform geared to rating communities across Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties.

The philosophy is similar to that of Yelp, Amazon or Google - giving people a platform to speak to the character and personality of a town or village. Users can also post questions, as well as answer questions they feel strongly about. Best of all, it's extremely easy to get signed up and started.

• Visit social.houlihanlawrence.com - in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, press the 'Join Now' button. (Note: Agents have a different method of signing up and should contact social@houlihanlawrence.com for instructions.)
• Use the search engine on the homepage to find your community - start by typing in your town or village's name.
• Explore your community's page - each community has a 'Write A Review' and 'Ask A Question' button at the top of the page. You can answer questions on the right hand portion of the page.

Check out the video below for more information: