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Navigating Real Estate Issues with Google Earth

Published November 1, 2024

So, you’re in the market for real estate but feeling overwhelmed? Not sure what area, town, or even state you should focus on? I’m Dr. Bart Sokolow, and welcome to the Environmental Minute. My goal is to help you avoid environmental issues when buying property.

Today, I want to introduce you to a fantastic online tool that can be a game-changer in your real estate search: Google Earth. And the best part? It’s completely free—no subscriptions, no hidden fees.

Google Earth is widely used for various reasons, but I’m going to show you how to use it to uncover potential environmental issues with a property. Whether it’s a past spill, fire, or other incidents, Google Earth’s historical imagery can reveal important clues.

Here’s a quick guide to get you started:

Download Google Earth: It’s available as a free app, so just grab it and install it on your device.

Now, search for an address: Open Google Earth and type in the address of the property you’re interested in, into the search bar at the upper left corner. Hit search, and you’ll see an aerial view of the property.

Explore Street View: Click the body icon on the upper right side to switch to street view if you want a closer look. You can also do this with Google Maps.

Now, Unlock Historical Data: Here’s where it gets interesting. Look for the icon that looks like a backwards clock at the top of the screen. This icon opens up a timeline with aerial photos from different, earlier years.

Examine Historical Photos: Click on the vertical lines in the timeline to view historical photos of the property. This feature can help you spot changes or incidents that might have occurred over time.

This tool is particularly useful for commercial, industrial, or manufacturing properties where environmental issues are a bigger concern.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to email me

Until next time, this is Dr. Bart Sokolow, signing off.

Happy hunting!