How to Find Out About a Property Without Seeing it in Person
If you're interested in investing in property you're probably not just searching in your neighborhood or maybe not even in your own town, but extending your search to neighboring towns and maybe even neighboring states. If you're looking for the perfect investment property you have to dig deep and expand your search to find the perfect property, but it might be difficult to personally view dozens of homes that could potentially be a great investment. So, how do you find out about a house without actually seeing it in person?
There's actually a lot of different ways you can research a property without even leaving the comfort of your home. Statistics and research has shown that one in five buyers make offers on properties without even seeing it. If you've seen any of those auction real estate shows they often by properties site unseen or they only have access to the outside of the property and have to actually buy the house in cash before seeing the inside.
Google maps. A Google maps is a great way to take a look at the neighborhood and surrounding homes of a property you might not be able to get to in person. The street view will give you a good idea of what's around the house and a general condition of the house, but, beware that depending on when the street view pictures were taken, things can change dramatically. The Google maps Street view will tell you if the house is on a hill, how far away the house is to a busy freeway, train tracks, airports, markets or modern conveniences. This review will also tell you the approximate size of the house and the size of the backyard if there is any.
Previous real estate listings. Many real estate sites will actually keep old listings on their website for several years. You can check out old listings to get a sense of the house layout and maybe what has been done to the home. Most listings will give you a lot of information even about any HOA fees or how much the home previously sold for.
Tax records. The county tax records for a home can provide some information on a property. Basic layout size, owners, etc... can be found on the tax assessment records. Current assessed value should also be available.
Local agent or friend. If you know someone in the area, ask them to drive by the property or ask the agent to go in and take photos of the property and get a better sense of the home's reality. Pictures might not show the home's flaws or defects but a video tour and pictures taken by someone you trust certainly won't lie.
Have a Home Inspection. Yes, you can pay for an inspection before offering to buy the house. The owner or listing agent can accompany the inspector through the house and then you will receive an inspection report of the property. You can get a good sense of future issues you'll have to deal with if you choose to buy the property.
Buying a house site unseen is not uncommon but doing these investigative tactics ahead of time will make you more comfortable with your purchase.
Call me anytime if you have a house in Stockton or Sacramento you'd like to sell as-is! I am an investor, not an agent so you can close quick and have more money in your pocket.
Google map car image By The Pancake of Heaven! (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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