Do you use the Google Maps app on your smart phone? Have you seen the “street view” feature yet? This feature is of course available online, but it’s neat to see on a smart phone too. I think “street view” is a great tool to begin to see a neighborhood in more detail before physically going there. Have a look at the video below (or here) and let me know how you think street view might come in handy for you.
If you have an iPhone and need to use “street view”, check out this well-written article from REbliss. The iPhone and Android app are similar, but they do have differences.
If you have any questions, or real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs in the Greater Sacramento Region, contact Lundquist Appraisal by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook or subscribe to posts by email.
I had someone ask about Kevin Martin’s condo the other day, so I wanted to give the scoop on L Street in Midtown for any who might be wondering. Former Sacramento Kings Guard, Kevin Martin, purchased a penthouse condo in the 
The Price of Fame: Would you pay more for a property because someone famous lived there? Would you feel like you had “bragging rights” to say an NBA player previously owned your property? Or what about buying 
The sale circled in red on the graph signifies a recent pot house sale in a particular neighborhood in Elk Grove near W Stockton Blvd and Sheldon Road. This house as pictured to the right is just about 2,500 square feet and sold well below the range of other sales, which is obvious when viewing a bracket of properties between 2000-3000 square feet. As you can see, only one other house in this neighborhood sold below $200,000 over the past few years (an aggressively priced short sale in 2009). In this case similar competitive sales around February were selling between $220,000-$230,000 easily. Of course these “comps” did not have major electrical damage, moisture damage, holes in the sheetrock, potential structural issues and all the other factors associated with a “growing facility.”
Tips for Finding Pot House Comps: Usually pot houses can be found in MLS by searching for phrases like “marijuana”, “pot house”, “pot farm”, “agricultural income production” and “growing facility” (kidding on the “income production” – just seeing if you’re really reading). It’s always helpful to ask trusted real estate agents what they know too since sometimes sales are hard to find since listings can say things like “call agent for history of house”. Lastly, search online for terms like “pot houses in Elk Grove” to see what you can find. For example, this