They can be a crucial part of your team in an area you may not know well and be boots on the ground for you.

The best way to do market research is go to the area meet up with people investing in the area and be on the ground.

But having done this over the years we've worked with many types of so called "boots on the ground" that can help us determine the condition of the property as best we can without ever going inside.Those boots can be best when they're from a property preservation company, or are practicing rehabbers, general contractors, etc.

I put a sign in the ground shortly after I close on the purchase.

And my local boots on the ground did a driveby and this property is ready for a campfire. 

At least one borrower who signs the security instrument and the loan note must live in the home to fulfill the owner occupancy requirement       The above would disqualify me whether or not I rented out the property as I am spending so much of my time(up to 8 months some years) on the fishing grounds

I have a couple of thoughts:1) Ground up - talk to neighbors and gauge what the interest is and if there are enough people interested the get the HOA to call a vote.2) Some HOAs are small little pockets of power and will do only what is in there interests and if one board member refuses you are stuck.  

You could put an above ground pool there too, and even a kegorator.

There are some maps available but as I mentioned in a previous post, as up and coming areas are changing rapidly, the best resource is boots on the ground and working with an agent that stays on top of market changes.  

A kid can be grounded according to mom but not grounded according to dad, one of those things.