Landlords On FIRE & TIME TRAVEL with Google Street View!

So you're curious about these Landlords On FIRE.  Now you think you want to be a Time Traveler as well?  Gas up the DeLoreon, and get some muck-out goo for the Mr. Fusion, because it's going to be a bumpy technological ride!!!

So you're an OOS (Out Of State) REI (Real Estate Investor)... How do you get good information on the properties you're interested in?  How can you tell whether the property is a good deal?

Nothing beats BOTG - Boots On The Ground - seeing a property with your own eyes. Smelling the smells, feeling the spongy spots in the floor, noticing the low gravelly spot below the downspout on one corner. Seeing the cars on the street, and tallying the ratio of glass car windows to trash-bag car windows.   

How can you learn what you need to know without being there?  Google Maps: Street View is your best tool.  "Drive" the neighborhood virtually from your laptop or phone. Be sure to note the "image date" to be sure it represents a recent version of your target area.  The fewer trash-bag-windows the better.  How can you tell if the area has changed over time?  Use Street View's hidden "historical photos" feature. Here's how (using laptop web-browser as of 06/28/2020):

1. Navigate to https://www.google.com/maps/

2. Enter a target address - example  66 North Ritter Avenue Indianapolis, IN

3. Click the "Street View" thumbnail on the upper left - NOTE:  you may see "All" & "Street View & 360°" (you should see a large-screen image identical to the thumbnail image at this point)

4. In the upper-left of the large image area, you should see a 'callout' showing the address, "66 N Ritter Ave, Indianapolis, Indiana", a google link, and below that a CLOCK-FACE ICON with a down-pointing "Arrow", and the words "Street View".  

5. Click the CLOCK-FACE-ICON, and a secondary thumbnail view appears with a sliding TIMELINE on the bottom.  In our example, there are images from Jul 2009, Jun 2011, Oct 2011, Nov 2016, and Aug 2019.  Click "Nov 2016", click the thumbnail image to show the larger image, and compare the color scheme to the purple seen in 2019.  Notice the 'For Sale' signs in the yard?  Notice the "railing" above the front porch - it's not there in 2009, but appears in 2011, and is gone again by 2016. The picket fence shows up in 2019.

6. Once a time-line has been selected, you can drive the street seeing images from that time period.  Useful to compare how a neighborhood looks TODAY vs 5-to-10 years ago.

Hope this is helpful.  All The Best!!  

Next time... using Zillow to learn more about properties, and where to go from THERE :)