{"id":1159,"date":"2010-08-16T11:06:33","date_gmt":"2010-08-16T15:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.realst8.crankpin.com\/?p=1159"},"modified":"2011-03-21T12:22:34","modified_gmt":"2011-03-21T16:22:34","slug":"how-to-research-south-bend-homes-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/real-estate\/how-to-research-south-bend-homes-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Research South Bend Homes Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There aren&#8217;t any big secrets to real estate. Like most fields there is a learning curve, the right tools make a difference, and it&#8217;s helpful to have relationships with the key players. But the widespread belief that access to the MLS or secret lists of foreclosures is a reason to hire a real estate agent are flat false.<\/p>\n<p>If you are planning to buy a property, there are many reasons you might want to work with a Realtor. Knowledge of the city and its housing stock, help understanding value and avoiding common pitfalls, and assistance with the myriad details involved in buying a house are good reasons. Not knowing how to research a property on your own is not one.<\/p>\n<p>Veteran agents know they add value and provide service that smart people seek out. Agents with less to offer might think of their fees as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.searchlightcrusade.net\/2009\/06\/the_tollbooth_model_of_real_es.html\" target=\"_blank\">tollbooth<\/a> and try to prevent people from working any way but through them. The very best <a href=\"http:\/\/chrisguillebeau.com\/3x5\/the-small-man-builds-cages-for-everyone\/\" target=\"_blank\">empower<\/a> people, then work with those who still prefer assistance from a professional. I say &#8220;Real estate transactions are complex and I can help you. But they aren&#8217;t rocket science. If you&#8217;ve got the time and inclination to go it alone, here are some places to get started. If you later decide you want advice or assistance, let&#8217;s talk then.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>With that philosophy, here are five ways for you to start researching South Bend properties online.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Find out exactly where it is<\/strong>.<br \/>\nGoogle maps and satellite views are helpful, but not precise in pointing to an address. A better bet is to use a government agency&#8217;s public GIS program (Geographic Information System). There are two options for South Bend properties:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The city of <a href=\"http:\/\/southbend.in.schneidercorp.com\/gis\/viewer.asp\" target=\"_blank\">South Bend&#8217;s GIS<\/a> site is the simpler. Click search, type in an address and it will highlight the parcel on a satellite image. Type the owner&#8217;s name and you can pick the parcel from a list of matching results. One drawback is that the data seems to be a few years old. You may not find information on current owners if the property has been recently sold, or anything at all if it has been recently constructed.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/southbend.in.schneidercorp.com\/gis\/viewer.asp\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"South Bend GIS screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/SB-GIS-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/blog\/images\/HowToSearch\/SB-GIS-screenshot.jpg\" width=\"384\" height=\"248\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The Michiana Area Council of Governments hosts <a href=\"http:\/\/www.macoggis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">a more robust GIS site<\/a> that covers all of St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties. It is a bit more complicated to navigate but is more current and offers more information if you delve into it (subdivisions, traffic counts, school districts and more).<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.macoggis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"MACOGGIS screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/MACOGGIS-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"MACOGGIS screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"301\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2. Check out the area.<\/strong> If you start with a GIS service, you know the exact location of the property. Look at it on the public mapping sites. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/maps\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bing<\/a> has the best angled imagery of the South Bend Area (Bird&#8217;s Eye View), <a href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Google Maps<\/a> have the best street level views and satellite imagery above 200 feet or so, and <a href=\"http:\/\/new.mapquest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">MapQuest<\/a> has the most recent satellite imagery if you are looking at newer neighborhoods.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/maps\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Bing Maps Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/bing-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Bing Maps Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"248\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Google Maps Street View Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/GoogleStreetView-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Google Maps Street View Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"248\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. \u00a0Check the public records.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can view documents recorded in the County Recorder&#8217;s Office (think deeds and mortgages)\u00a0using <a href=\"https:\/\/tapestry.fidlar.com\/Tapestry2\/Default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">LandRecords.net<\/a> . It costs $5.95 per search plus $1 per page you print.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/tapestry.fidlar.com\/Tapestry2\/Default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"LandRecords.net Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/tapestry-screenshot-deed.jpg\" alt=\"LandRecords.net Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"251\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>You can find current owners, tax bills, assessed values and\u00a0delinquencies\u00a0using <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stjosephtax.net\/content\/Default.aspx?cid=46\" target=\"_blank\">FreedomData<\/a>. It&#8217;s free for 30 searches, then you can buy searches two at a time for $5 or subscribe monthly for $10-$75.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stjosephtax.net\/content\/Default.aspx?cid=46\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"FreedomData Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/itricity-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"FreedomData Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"251\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The County Assessor has an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stjosephassessor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">online search<\/a> you can check by address or owner. If you click on <em>sales history<\/em> in the left navigation pane you can sometimes see past sales prices, though when someone refinances their mortgage it is shown as a sale for $0 &#8211; don&#8217;t be confused.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stjosephassessor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Assessor's Search Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/assessor-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Assessor's Search Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"251\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>4. Check the national real estate sites.<\/strong> Though often outdated and inaccurate, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zillow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Zillow<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.trulia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Trulia<\/a> are worth monitoring. Zillow says my home has an assessed value of $257,900 and Trulia says it is 786 square feet &#8211; both very wrong. But the sites display &#8220;For Sale By Owner&#8221; homes, &#8220;Make Me Move&#8221; prices set by owners and information on rentals. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.realtytrac.com\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\">RealtyTrac<\/a> often shows homes no longer for sale, but can be useful if you are trying to learn the foreclosure market.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.zillow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Zillow Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/zillow-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Zillow Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.trulia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Trulia Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/trulia-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Trulia Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"251\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.realtytrac.com\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"RealtyTrac Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/RealtyTrac-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"RealtyTrac Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"313\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Check the MLS<\/strong>. The <strong>M<\/strong>ultipl <strong>L<\/strong>isting <strong>S<\/strong>ervice is a database Realtors use to share information about properties and guarantee payment to buyer&#8217;s agent upon closing. It is not a public site, but most real estate brokerages offer limited search functionality of all properties currently listed for sale with a member Realtor. In this case that would be any of the ~600 members of the Greater South Bend &#8211; Mishawaka Board of Realtors. If a home is listed for sale, this is an easy way to see 12 photos of it (the current limit in our MLS) and basic property information. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.realst8.idxco.com\/idx\/3142\/basicSearch.php\" target=\"_blank\">The Realst8.com MLS search<\/a> is better than most with map-based searches, simple navigation and we don&#8217;t require registration.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.realst8.idxco.com\/idx\/3142\/basicSearch.php\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Realst8.com IDX Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/realst8.com\/images\/HowToSearch\/IDX-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Realst8.com IDX Screenshot\" width=\"384\" height=\"249\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I could write tips and tricks for each site but the best way to learn them is to dive in and start searching. With just a few minutes of practice, you&#8217;ll be able to dig up some basic data on most any property in South Bend. Just remember, it will take much longer to understand the context of the data:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is this a &#8220;good&#8221; price?<\/li>\n<li>How does it compare to the neighboring homes?<\/li>\n<li>What are the most common flaws with properties from this builder\/of this style\/era?<\/li>\n<li>Does this property manifest any evidence of those flaws?<\/li>\n<li>What was on and near this site before it was developed (a cornfield\/golf course\/EPA superfund site)?<\/li>\n<li>and so on&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Happy searching. If you&#8217;d like guidance, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/agents\/\" target=\"_blank\">contact us<\/a>. If we can&#8217;t take you past the simple data to a better understanding of your options, including their benefits and drawbacks, we won&#8217;t waste your time. But if you&#8217;re looking in one of the markets we serve: \u00a0South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger and (near) Notre Dame, we should talk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There aren&#8217;t any big secrets to real estate. Like most fields there is a learning curve, the right tools make a difference, and it&#8217;s helpful to have relationships with the key players. But the widespread belief that access to the MLS or secret lists of foreclosures is a reason to hire a real estate agent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-real-estate"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1159"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1169,"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159\/revisions\/1169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realst8.com\/staging\/9756\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}