Atlas methodology · Version 1.0 · July 17, 2026
How evidence becomes publishable—and stays honest.
Atlas separates source records, transformations, Eric's analysis, and property-specific assumptions. This page defines that operating system in public.
Research lifecycle
Seven steps from question to correction.
- 01
Define
Write the question, geography, metric, time period, and intended use before collecting a number.
- 02
Collect
Prefer official and first-party records; preserve the exact URL, publisher, access date, and record identifier.
- 03
Normalize
Keep units, geographic boundaries, dates, stages, and definitions consistent without erasing source differences.
- 04
Calculate
Store the reported inputs and state every sum, rate, percentage change, or transformation Atlas performs.
- 05
Review
Check claim-to-source fit, arithmetic, date, geography, fair-housing risk, and the conclusion the evidence cannot support.
- 06
Publish
Display author or reviewer, data period, substantive update date, sources, limitations, and correction path.
- 07
Revise
Re-check on the stated cadence, preserve material corrections, and label stale information instead of silently refreshing the date.
Evidence hierarchy
Authority follows the question.
No single source is authoritative for every real estate conclusion. Atlas chooses the record that actually measures the question being asked.
- 1
Official primary record
Adopted code, decision, permit, assessor record, Census/BLS/COMPASS dataset, or agency publication.
- 2
Licensed or contractual data
MLS, brokerage, vendor, or subscription evidence used within the permitted access and redistribution terms.
- 3
Documented first-party observation
Renew transaction, underwriting, or field evidence with date, sample, scope, and privacy protection.
- 4
Derived Atlas value
A transparent calculation whose reported inputs and method are preserved.
- 5
Assumption or scenario
A property-specific input that still requires confirmation, sensitivity testing, or outside professional review.
Four dates, four meanings
Freshness is not one timestamp.
- Published
- The first date the report or dataset became public.
- Modified
- The last material factual, methodological, or analytical change—not a deploy.
- Data as of
- The period represented by the underlying observation or record.
- Reviewed
- The last time a human verified the source and claim fit.
Default review cadence
Different records age at different speeds.
Swipe or use arrow keys to view the complete table.
| Data family | Expected review | Stale after |
|---|---|---|
| Planning applications and hearings | Daily to weekly | 14 days |
| Municipal permit reports | Weekly to monthly | 45 days |
| MLS sales, inventory, and days on market | Monthly · licensed | 45 days |
| Rent and vacancy evidence | Monthly to quarterly | 120 days |
| Employment and unemployment | Monthly | 45 days |
| Population and ACS demographics | Annual | 400 days |
| Zoning and ordinance rules | Weekly scan + event review | Until superseded |
| Calculator assumptions | Quarterly + event review | 120 days |
These are manual editorial targets, not automated guarantees or promises that every publisher releases on schedule. Atlas shows the actual source period and last verified date, and may label a value stale when the expected replacement is unavailable.
Calculation rules
- Keep reported inputs available beside a derived output.
- Do not combine different geographic boundaries or source vintages without an explicit method note.
- Use unrounded values for arithmetic when available; label displayed rounding.
- Do not turn an index into a price, a permit into a completion, or an application into an approval.
- Do not infer an Idaho sale price from an assessor or recorder change when the consideration is not reliably public.
Publication guardrails
- No protected-class scoring, steering, coded neighborhood language, or unsupported safety and school-quality claims.
- No promise of appreciation, return, approval, rent, financing, tax outcome, or development yield.
- Legal, zoning, tax, lending, engineering, environmental, title, and inspection conclusions stay with the appropriate professional.
- Automation may assist research and drafting, but material claims and Eric bylines require human review.
- Draft or unverified work is not presented as a published Atlas report.
Public accountability
Read the policy. Check the corrections.
Ask how the number was built.
A source and calculation should survive inspection. Send the page and question; Atlas will answer against the record or correct the work.