Home > Home Buying > Google Mapping Technology for your Home Buying

Google has triumphed in the past few years with its mapping technology. Home buying can be made easier for those who are not in the vicinity of the property to check the property first hand. As a home buying looking for a house, you probably use websites with home search capabilities, property and email alerts, virtual tours as well as mortgage calculators.

Now that you found a property you somewhat like, you get in your car, drive to the property and visit first hand. How about putting the Google mapping technology to work for you?  Let the technology take you to the location while you are in the comfort of your own home even before you get in your car.

There are some buyers with unique home requirements. It must face North, it cannot face west or you want to see how far the train tracks is away from the property. Google maps can do that for you.

Google is not only a main choice of search engine, it also have a module for maps. It is not just your typical map. It has the capability to show you the satellite image of the surrounding areas, zoom in and out of the map and recently, and even a ‘street view’ feature.  It is as if putting you outside the property. The map is also capable of displaying street names, label of a block (if available), traffic direction and even traffic condition. 

So how do you use the Google Maps?

When you have found a house that meets your criteria (i.e, price range, number of bedrooms, bathroom, size….), hop on to Google Maps. Type in the address. It will display the map of the location. Select the "Satellite" view. You can explore the map around to see what is nearby the address (schools, malls, major highway, community amenities, city parks,  cross streets…etc). This can help you to decide if you like the location enough to drive out there. Remember, real estate is all about location, location, location. From the “Satelite” view, you can see what is close to the house (green belt with trees, a big building potentially a school, community pool close by).

Click on “Street View”  to view the location as if you were standing on the street. 

Google has done an excellent job in providing you a virtual tour of its surrounding before you even set your foot on the property. Instead of driving around, why not use this? Once you think that the location is good for you, then drive it in person to look at the house. By this time you have already save yourself time by eliminating the location that you do not want.

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