Hello from Elgin IL. Do people buys lists of properties

[Tom Printy]

Hello BP,

I have been listening to the BP podcast for a couple of months and just decided to start posting on the forums.  I am not ready to take the dive into RE yet because I really don't want to live where I do now but not sure where/when I am moving next and not ready to be a remote investor.

Anyway....  I walk and drive around a lot in Elgin IL and I have started to get a sense for when a property is about to be vacated or is already vacant. If I were to put a list of these type or properties together would this be something that investors would pay for?  If so what type of information would you want to see? I am a software programmer so I could develop a nice little system that could be used to gather this type of data.  

Elgin has a strict policy on roadside signs. They will never stay there for more then 24 hours. They actually get removed by the city. I was figuring that if I did the "driving for dollars" part that I could sell the list or sell access to a small website where I maintain data about properties in the area.

I could also use this as an opportunity to build skills and maybe start in other aspects of this wide open world. 

My current goal is to relocate somewhere warmer and maybe house hack a duplex. 

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Tom