USAA had two great features (1) online data entry allowed for plug and play changes to coverage terms and recalculation of the impact on the premiums (2) you can adjust the dwelling policy limit (within a range) rather than just getting stuck with some inflated cost estimator.  

From this data, you can utilize a website bestplaces.net that will give you a breakdown of the percentage of homes that sold, in various price ranges, for a given zip code.

If I can have data to back up my gut feeling, why would I ignore it? 

With a license you will have more access to information and data on the MLS, you can facilitate the necessary paperwork and contracts, as well as grow your RE network (in addition to what @Lynn Montang mentioned above.

Hi,I think all of the major online RE sales sites have local market data/stats.I particularly like Trulia's maps:http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Oakland-Californ...http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Oakland-Californ...Recently sold listings are helpful too and I think available from all the major sites: Zillow, Redfin, Trulia etcI found ZipRealty polygon map search very good for current "for sale" notifications in a small area e.g 5 blocks wide and a mile or so long, but Redfin and many other sites are probably just as good for an entire neighborhood.

Account ClosedIntroverts can prospect leads very well (data, design & copy for targeted mailings, etc) imo, up until it comes time to chat with the seller(s).

Of course it's early days and I need to research what consequences of holding properties in the US if I moved back to the UK or Australia first.I guess you check for flood areas here:http://www.harriscountyfemt.org/I found this decent little graph on historic data for Houston.

At the end of the day, you may have ten properties paid off, but it is likely that the data will not come close to your original spreadsheets.

Once you are under contract you can get more accurate data for the expenses.Bottom line is you will always have some unknown data until you get the property under contract to start finding the details.

However, after going to a local BP meet up, I met a gentleman who recently joined a small boutique Commercial Real Estate Firm.