If you haven't seen it yet, check out Google's new Street View.  Google sent Googlemobiles all over cities like Austin snapping photos as the car went down the streets.  They used geo coordinates to try to tie photos to address and are amazingly close.  For example, I am about to list a nice single-story home in Steiner Ranch.  I'm about to give you a 'click here to see a street view" but first, you need to know how to use this very cool feature.

When the window showing the street view opens, you will see a framed photo of the property.  If you click on the left or right part of the photo and drag, you can rotate the view to see the other side of the street.  Not only can you rotate left or right, but you can go up and down as well.  You will also see arrows you can click on to move you up and down the street.  If you double click on the photo, it will zoom in for a close-up.

Below the framed photo you will see a little orange icon of a person.  If you close the photo frame window you will see streets highlighted in blue.   These are the streets the Googlemobile has been up and down.  If you click and hold the little orange person, you can drag it and place it on another street.  They key to good placement is looking for the X below the person.  That X is the target.  The place the X lands is where the photo will be.

OK, click HERE to see the home I am about to list.  Go ahead and "drive" the neighborhood a bit.

Want to see a street where the homes have absolutely HUGE views of Lake Travis?  Click HERE.  Want to take a drive going west on Austin's famous 6th street?  This is where most of the live music is. Click HERE for that.