Random Photographing of House

C

chichantes

25+ Posts
In the last few months, there have been numerous instances where I have seen random people stop their car in the street, roll down the window, and take a picture of my house in Austin. WTF? One of them was a neighbor down the street (I got the license plate and looked him up), but the others I haven't been able to ID or get license plates. Why would strangers continue to do this? Private appraisers? TCAD? Creeps? It is very bothersome and creepy when you observe someone doing it and then they quickly drive off...
 
Does your house have any cool/unique features/landscaping? We have a cool front door plus some trippy copperwork that was done a few years ago, I've talked to a few people over the years who are driving around neighborhoods looking for ideas for their own remodels...

Alternatively, do you deal meth out of your house? That might be a factor as well...
 
Have you paid your property taxes? If not, it's possible your house is scheduled to be auctioned off and these people are speculators.
 
Nothing remarkable as far as landscaping, etc (just trying to keep grass and plants alive)...and no meth or other illicit activity that would attract Johnny Law. Bought house 4 or 5 months ago (near Westlake) and have already contested/settled for lower appraisal. Property taxes are paid.
 
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Since you said one of the Abode Paparazzi was from The Hood, you should see if there are any deed restrictions on your property. Some people like to nitpick over the wrong shade of white, or a rose bush planted on the west side of the house.












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There was a recent ad in Craigslist for someone to scout potential flip houses. $2 for a photo they don't already have, and $500 if they buy the house.

Does your house have that "good bones" in a good neighborhood vibe? Does it look like a tear-down project?

This could be the answer.
 
I'm in an HOA, but don't violate any of the restrictions. Since I've seen quite a bit of randoms taking pics, I'm probably going to nicely ask guy down the street WTF he was taking pics. Maybe that will give me some insight...as I don't think the randoms are in the HOA. It is not just a "good bones" house (although I understand your thinking), so I don't think that would apply. It's just bothersome to look out your window and see somebody snapping a pic of your house. After the third or fourth time, it's just plain shady.
 
Have you searched the Internet for your home's address (number and street)?

I closed on my house in January and less than a week later a realtor renewed the listing on Zillow. I complained to Zillow and they said they couldn't delete it. I left a message with the broker and realtor and no one returned my call.

It seemed to fade finally and then in June the same "Listing partner" listed it as being for sale again. I can only surmise they use such bogus listings to generate leads.
 
I think they use a specially-equipped car with a bunch of cameras mounted on the top. In other words, it would probably be obvious if it were them
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A recent purchase? After we bought our house the same thing happened to us: cars stopping and someone taking pictures. A friend told me it was insurers and mortgage companies getting pictures of their "investment."
 
If I see cool landscaping, fencing or something that generates ideas for use in my yard I will take photos. But I stop by the house and knock on the door. I introduce myself nicely and let them know why I am about to take photos of whatever it is. Just about every time they come out and chat about it, why they put it there, where they got the idea and some info about it. Very helpful info and it puts them at ease so they don't have to post their story about it online.

Grap a camera and start taking photos of the cars.
 
When you buy a house, it becomes a data point used to value other houses in your neighborhood. Everyone else who is buying or refinancing a house in your neighborhood will need an appraisal to support the value. Every appraisal requires several comparable sales. The appraisal will include a photo of the comparable sale. Recent sales are better than older sales.

There's a ton of info available to appraisers online. They already know most of what they need to know about your house before they ever see it, but they still need to see it. It would not be uncommon at all for an appraiser to simply stop their car in front of your house, take a quick shot and be gone on 30-60 seconds.

If you got a loan on our house, there's an appraisal somewhere in someone's file. That report certainly inlcudes photos of other recently sold homes in your neighborhood. Those photos don't take themselves.

This activity should taper off quickly as time goes by.

Bernard
 
I'm an appraiser in Houston and I do this all the time. We're required by guidelines from lenders to take original photos of "comparables" we use in our reports. I have a stealth mode for taking these photos. I wouldn't worry and legally there's no law being broken.
 
Your house is a comp used for tax and value appraisals. They need the pictures for documentation of the appraisal of the other house.
 
I would suspect that there was probably some sort of mass murder that occurred there in the past and it is one of the serial killer fan hotspots.
 
I hate to admit this, but Ms. Accurate and I are fixing up our house, and we have cruised around several neighborhoods taking pictures of color schemes and creative fence designs for ideas for our place. It could have been us. Some people do look a bit inquisitive when you take pictures of their fence, for some strange reason.
 
People here will take pictures of prime properties and list them for sale. They also do it for cars in the hope someone will bid you.

I get realestate agents stopping bye, telling me they can get roughly 40 percent more than my house is worth blah blah just sign this exclusive deal etc.
 
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