Be careful using the "Street View" option when viewing homes online.

Amanda & Jared, you would think that with almost 2,300 satellites up there that one could take a recent and decent picture.  Smile!

Isn't it nice to know we are being watched? Some of these pictures show people walking in the street and doing all sorts of activities...just a thought.

I haven't used the street view for checking out the house, but it doesn't surprise me since google earth can be several years old.

Interesting post, and something to remind clients of when they are on line. Had not thought of this although I often wonder when the street view was last updated.

Good reminder for clients and agents alike. I usually use street view to determine the location of things like railroad tracks and power lines only. 

Most of the country also has four seasons. The street view, and especially the overhead view, is often taken in winter months.

These views are not current, not real-time, not guaranteed to be accurate, and I don't think they ever claimed to be.  These are AIDS, and not substitutes for first-person on-site observation.  

I worry when people talk about remote-camera inspections of houses, because even IF you are getting a live picture, even an HD display is not going to show the same amount of detail you can see with your eye.  And there will be no smell, no feeling of temperature and drafts, no sense of ambient noises from inside and outside the house.

Any buyer who sets his/her heart on a house based solely on photos and fanciful descriptions on the Internet is asking for disappointment.  It's okay to pick 'candidates' to investigate further, just realize the photo on the box may not be what you get.

Amanda and Jared -- You are so right. Just showed a house that looks beaten down on the street view and it was just recently painted and landscaped so it looks really spiffy.  Drive bys during different times of the day are always suggested.

I had not even thought of that.  Great blog!  Thanks.  :)

Separate from the zesstimates almost always being inaccurate to some degree, I've come across this issue as well, where the street view photos don't truly represent the reality. Great reminder.

The street view can be very interesting in how it's outdated and has images from a year or so ago.  A friend of mine's parents passed away this year, but the street view still shows them sitting on their porch.  Kind of a nice memory of them.  

Amanda and Jared, Good advice.  Who knows how old that photo is.  I've seen new developments that still show vacant land.  Definitely do a drive by.  Congrats on the feature!

Good afternoon Amanda and Jared ... great featured post and it just goes to show that we need to always do our part and not just take the information as noted from many of these sites.

Most times when I pull up the street view it is of a completely different season that could be years past. When a client is interested in a house a drive-by is always a good idea as it could provide additional info positive and negative

I agree as you always should drive by the home and drive the neighborhood. Online pictures along with lots of other stuff is many times totally outdated. Zillow estimates are garbage.  

Wow, who would have though of that angle?  I know when I look at our home online it shows our Motorhome in the driveway and we sold it more than five years ago.

Jared, Amanda, sometimes the listed home itself is different - could be better landscaping now compared to when street view was created.

Amanda & Jared,

I agree, a picture  is everything in real estate, and it clearly makes a difference.  An opinion is formed in a matter of seconds.

Amanda & Jared, two days ago I got a call from someone complaining about a similar situation, but worse in my opinion because it was the agent who entered a photo that didn't match the condition of the house.  I'll stop here because this is inspiration for another blog post for which I'll give you credit...thanks.