Looking for a last-minute baby sitter? Want to let your neighbors know about a break-in? Wondering whether anyone else received an unexpectedly high water bill?

A number of people are logging on to private neighborhood websites to ask questions like these, get advice and share information through an electronic version of the backyard fence.

A company called Nextdoor, which offers a free online platform that enables people to create social networks for their own neighborhoods, launched officially Oct. 26.

Today, more than 800 neighborhoods in 43 states plus the District of Columbia have set up local websites where they can communicate one-on-one, as well as with the people nearby.

There are five Nextdoor websites in New Mexico, including three for Santa Fe neighborhoods: Los Milagros, Sol y Lomas and Talaya Hill.

Each website includes a neighborhood map, member postings, a directory of residents (including brief profiles), links to resources and reports of interest, and photographs of community events.

Bob Thornburg, an electrician, is the "lead" for the Sol y Lomas website. He said he had previously put together an email tree to keep his neighbors informed about security issues. But it wasn't so effective because it didn't foster communication among all the people on the list. A family member told him about Nextdoor.

He contacted the company, and its representatives provided him with a proposed map generated by Maponics. "It looked pretty good, but I changed the boundaries a bit to exclude some areas," Thornburg said.

Nextdoor Sol y Lomas is bound on the east by Old Pecos Trail, on the south by Rodeo Road and on the west by Arroyo Chamiso and Botulph roads.

Access to each Nextdoor website is password-protected, and only verified residents can become members, log on and post messages. No one else has access to the content, so that people can safely share information on neighborhood topics.

Nextdoor uses four methods to verify member addresses: Once the website is set up, verified members can click the "Invite Neighbors" link, where they can send invitations by email or postcard, or print out flyers to distribute. Nextdoor pays for the postage.

A resident with a phone number registered to their home address can request a free phone call from Nextdoor to confirm the information. Or Nextdoor can verify a new member's address through a credit-card billing address. Nextdoor can also send a postcard with a unique code printed on it to a new member's address. The resident can then use the code to log in and verify their account.

Thornburg said the idea really took off in Sol y Lomas. His original email list only had about a dozen households on it; Nextdoor now has approximately 87 members.

One homeowner doing a remodel was able to quickly find someone interested in his unwanted hot tub, and another found homes for a litter of new springer spaniel/Australian shepherd puppies.

One poster warned neighbors about a tall young man with a black hat, black shirt and baggy shorts who was going door to door trying to earn points for a trip to Europe, but became surly when the resident declined to buy anything. "Probably no big deal, but just thought I'd pass it on," the neighbor wrote.

Thornburg used Nextdoor to post information about neighbor Peter Ives' candidacy for the Santa Fe City Council.

He also shared contact information for a good handyman, saying, "There is nothing that he can't do well and there is no job below him."

Neighbors log on to the site, using their own user ID and password, to read postings, but they can also elect to receive posts instantly via email. "Personally I have them send an email when anything happens and I can check that from my smartphone," Thornburg said.

Nextdoor was founded in fall 2010 with a test site in Menlo Park, Calif., by a group of experienced technology executives interested in building strong online communities. Benchmark Capital and Shasta Ventures have both invested in the company.

There are currently no advertisements on the websites, but the revenue model calls for eventually working with local businesses to provide special offers to website members — Groupon meets Facebook — according to Nextdoor spokeswoman Whitney Swindells.

Contact Anne Constable at 986-3022 or aconstable@sfnewmexican.com.

ON THE WEB

To set up a neighborhood website, go to www.nextdoor.com and enter your address. The company advises that the best person to start one is a resident who can personally invite at least 10 neighbors and help get the word out to others.