Boise Real Estate Market

With instant information available at our fingertips via “google” magic, it is extremely easy to find out pretty much anything we want. But have you ever googled your address? or your neighbors? or maybe one of your children’s friends? While this may seem like spying, it is actually a very handy tool to have available for a few reasons.

• 1.-To keep you and your loved ones safe – Local sex offenders have to register with their local county Sheriff’s department. By typing in an address you can see if a sex offender lives there. If you want to see if there are in your neighborhood or in a neighborhood that you are considering purchasing a home, you can type in the address, the town, or the zip code followed by “Megan’s law” and the registered offenders should appear.
• 2. To protect against scams – By doing a search on an address you can see if it is being advertised by scammers as being for rent or sale.  If you are doing the search on a property that you plan on buying you will be able to see if someone other than the owner or realtor are advertising the property.
• 3.To check on Home Sold Prices – This is especially helpful if you think your taxes are too high. By checking on the local sold prices you will be able to see the sold pricing  trend in your area. If the you see a downward trend (which you most likely will right now) you will be able to petition the local tax assessor to adjust the tax assessment. (If you go to Trulia.com you will be able to get this information also)
• 4. To see street views – This is really a great idea especially if you are getting ready to list your home. Many potential buyers go to the internet first before they physically view a home. Google Maps lets them see a street view, not just of your property but of those around it too.  There may be a shot of your house maybe when you were cleaning out your garage or having a garage sale (you get the idea). Was your former neighbor a pig? Now they have moved and their yard looks great but usually the google street view is a few months (sometimes years) old. If you think that the view is not a good one make sure that it is mentioned by your realtor in the listing so potential buyers are not scared off before they even get to see the inside!

Whether you are buying, selling or just trying to stay safe, it is an excellent idea to google an address!

If you have any questions regarding the real estate market in the Boise area please feel free to contact me: mary@heritagewifi.com or www.BoiseRealEstateChick.com

source site: Trulia.com and WalletPop.com