What are the typical habits of buyers and renters? As a seller or landlord, you’ll want to know that prospective buyers and tenants are accessing information on where they want to live by Googling a specific address of interest. If you are thinking about selling or renting your home, you will want to Google your home address too. Here’s why.
Today’s homebuyers and renters typically look for comparable properties on the market, recent sales, information about the neighborhood and if any crime reports exist. Other content that may be generated by the internet search is a Google map and reports on foreclosure homes in the area.
As a seller or landlord, if you take the steps to google your address, you’ll already know what comes up on the internet about your home and you’ll be prepared to answer any questions about it. Other less common results are topics relating to historic information, if any, about the house or neighborhood and unknown or unusual information about the property.
Another thing that buyers/renters are doing when searching is to Google the address and “Megan’s Law” together. What this will show is a list of registered sex offenders from the Megan’s Law website with whatever towns and nearby zip codes you enter. Pretty much every state has an online service for information on convicted sex offenders.
Believe it or not, there are scammers out there who will use your home address to post your home for rent or lease-to-own on the internet to try to get someone to send them money to an overseas bank account. The fake ad usually lists a property at a cheap price, stating that it’s very easy to rent and move-in. The rightful homeowner finds out when people come knocking on the door asking to see the place or notices an increase in traffic on their street when potential renters are checking out their home, which is not really for rent! If you find that this happens with your address, contact the person’s email address immediately telling them to take it down and report fraud to the police department.
If you have plans to sell your home in the near future, you will want to Google your address + “public records” to see what surfaces. Sometimes, the public records (what is recorded in the county information) are inaccurate, not showing recent upgrades or additions to your home. If you’ve added a bathroom and the public record does not reflect this, contact the county records department to update the information. Many online home searching sites use public records for the basic information on a home.
Another tool to that Google offers is Google Street View. This allows you to explore at “street level” any place on the world map with 360 degree imagery. It’s especially important for sellers to see their home the way buyers will see their home. If something is outdated on the Google Street View, mention it to your Realtor, if he or she hasn’t already done so. A note can be added to the details of the property to correct any outdated information.
~Gina
Have You Googled Your Home Address Lately? by team member Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.
Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.
Have You Googled Your Home Address Lately? - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.
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The Scott Loper Team
Scott Loper - Associate Broker
Lisa Loper - Sales Associate
Gina Wherry - Sales Associate
RE/MAX Realty Group
439 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
Ph: 215-256-1200 x-213
