Google map toys

[da]

1) Draggable routes on google maps. Nice interface, cleverly done.

2) Google property search! The interface is still slightly clunky, but it's got tons of data; I think they're getting into real estate tools in a fairly big way. I found this a month ago, and today it took me a while to find again, because nobody's blogged about it at all.

Anyhow: go to http://maps.google.com/preview, type in your address at the top, chose the "mapplets" tab on the left, then choose the "real estate sales" box below it. Say "Submit" and you'll get a list of properties for sale within the mapped region. I hope I'm not the only person who's finding it sort of addictive to, say, look for places for my parents to retire to...

The property search isn't a standalone project; it's a demo for "mapplets" which I would love to take the time to learn to program. You can add layers to google, overlay them, and I believe you can put this all onto your own site. Mashups of mashups. Geeky, eh? (good article with a short video.)

OK, back to finishing up my work before vacation!

Comments

[alltoocozy.livejournal.com]

Nobody?

Au contraire!

I stuck it in my delicious feed last month! :-P

http://del.icio.us/Uncorked/RealEstate

(Sticking things in that feed is sort of what passes for blogging for me these days..)

[nobodyhere.livejournal.com]

That's so cool! You can even drag pivots into a route when the driving route doesn't work for walking, as an example.

(I still semi-regularly check MLS 2 years after buying a house I have no intention of leaving. That real estate lookup feature could be trouble.)

[alltoocozy.livejournal.com]

Oh yeaah - yes, I am constantly scanning the real estate section of the paper, browsing around homesdatabase.com (U.S. mid-Atlantic listings) and popping into open houses here and there on the weekends, even though we bought 5 years ago.

And, it may yet result in my RUIN, because during one of those pop-ins I found my absolute DREAM house... so now I'm exhorting the market to DIVE DIVE DIVE so we can afford it. ;-)

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

hee hee. can't dive yet, I still have to transfer stocks into CAD. 6 mo? :)

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

I found Google Maps' draggable route a bit less than satisfactory.

The real estate feature is rather cool. :)

[secretsoflife.livejournal.com]

also awesome: http://crazedmonkey.com/toronto-transit-map/

[sulle-stelle.livejournal.com]

Trulia.com does something that sounds (at least similar to) the google real estate lookup mapplet thingy......